- Date
- August 12, 1998, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Venice, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4810Cessna 185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980812041029I
- Case key
- 45301
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during high speed step-taxi. A factor was the swell left by the boat.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot lost control of the amphibian airplane during a 'high speed step-taxi' after landing. The pilot noticed a swell left by a boat that had departed the landing area and elected to approach the swell at a 45 degree angle. As the airplane crossed the swell, the pilot felt the right float 'dig in.' In an effort to prevent the floats from sinking further, the pilot pulled full aft on the yoke and applied full power. The airplane nosed over inverted and began to sink.
Factual narrative
On August 12, 1998, approximately 1300 central daylight time, a Cessna 185F amphibian airplane, N4810, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during high speed taxi after landing at Brenton Sound near Venice, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight which originated from Lacombe, Louisiana, at 1230. The airplane was owned and operated by Southern Natural Gas Company of Birmingham, Alabama.
According to a written statement provided by the pilot, he noticed a boat departing the landing area and determined that the boat would be clear prior to landing. After landing, the pilot started a "high speed step-taxi." The pilot noticed a swell left by the boat and decided to approach it at a 45 degree angle. As the airplane crossed the swell the pilot felt the right float "dig in." The pilot added full power and pulled full aft on the yoke in an effort to prevent the floats from going under water any farther. Subsequently, the aircraft nosed over inverted and began to sink.
The pilot reported that he opened his door, unbuckled his safety belt and exited the airplane. As he surfaced, he noticed that his passenger had not followed, so he elected to return to the airplane and assist his passenger.
At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated a total of 16,076 flight hours, of which 9,085 hours were in the same make and model as the accident aircraft.
FAA inspectors initially reported this occurrence in August and the damage was classified as minor. The aircraft was inspected again in November by a FAA inspector and the damage was re-classified as substantial. The FAA inspector stated that the engine mount was broken in half and the fire wall was buckled.
The NTSB South Central Region was notified of this occurrence on November 17, 1998.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4810
- Reported as
- Cessna 185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504438
- Airframe hours
- 5,206
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Southern Natural Gas Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 17, 1998 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 3LA2 · Lacombe, LA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,076 total · 9,085 in this make and model · 15,518 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.