ANC99LA049

The private pilot was landing the amphibious float plane on runway 08. The runway was wet, and winds were reported to be 070 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 29 knots. The pilot told the NTSB IIC, and the FAA, that he was aware that strong 90 degree left crosswinds occur near the center of the runway during these conditions. He described using a large amount of left aileron during final approach due to the left crosswind, and intentionally landed on the left side of the 100 feet wide runway, anticipating strong gusts. The pilot said the initial landing roll felt normal, and the airplane drifted to the right during rollout. He said that as the airplane slowed, a strong left gust lifted the left wing, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot said he did not recall any preaccident anomalies with the airplane. An air taxi pilot who departed the airport about 40 minutes earlier, reported telling the accident pilot in flight that the winds were '20 to 25 knots with gusts to at least 30. Direct crosswind from the left and that it was pretty nasty.' The pilot responded, 'doesn't sound too good.' The accident pilot had accumulated about 40 total hours of amphibious experience, all in the accident airplane.

On April 22, 1999, about 1810 Alaska daylight time, an amphibious float equipped Cessna 185E airplane, N3539F, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Haines Airport, Haines, Alaska. The solo private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight departed the Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska, about 1715. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed with an air taxi company in Haines.

The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during a telephone interview on April 26, that when established on final approach to runway 08, he had to apply a large amount of left aileron and right rudder due to the left crosswind to stay aligned with the runway. He said that he intentionally landed on the left side of the 4,000 feet long by 100 feet wide runway. He indicated the initial landing roll felt normal, and the airplane drifted about 2/3 of the runway width to the right. After slowing to near taxi speed, a wind gust lifted the left wing and forced the airplane off the right side of runway 08 about 3,000 feet from the approach end, just beyond taxiway "B". The airplane dropped off a 20 feet high rock embankment, and bounced across a rocky river bed, coming to rest on a gravel bar. Damage was sustained by both floats, both upper and lower surfaces of both wings, and all control surfaces on the empennage.

The accident pilot stated during an interview with the FAA on April 23 that the winds tend to burble over the hill and produce a strong direct crosswind from the north near taxiway "B." The pilot told the NTSB IIC that he had accumulated about 40 hours of experience in amphibious float planes, all in the accident airplane. The pilot also said he did not recall any preaccident anomalies with the airplane.

At 1654, the automated surface observing system (ASOS) at the Haines airport reported rain, and the winds to be from 070 degrees (true) at 16 knots, gusting to 22 knots. At 1754, the ASOS reported the winds to be 070 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 29 knots. At 1832, a special observation was taken, which reported the winds to be from 070 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 29 knots.

An air taxi pilot who departed from Haines about 1730 reported that he reported to the pilot of an airplane with the tail number "39F," that the wind conditions at Haines were "20 to 25 knots with gusts to at least 30. Direct crosswind from the left and that it was pretty nasty." The air taxi pilot wrote in a statement that the pilot responded, "doesn't sound very good."