- Date
- April 14, 2007, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ashland, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4756ECessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070414015019A
- Case key
- 65597
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 aircraft control while taxiing, which resulted in a nose over. A factor in this accident was the frozen, slush covered lake.
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 landed the Cessna A185F, which was equipped with skis, on a frozen slush covered lake without incident. The pilot stated that the airplane required a lot of engine power to taxi. While taxiing, the pilot felt a slight bump, and initiated a left turn, which required additional engine power. The tail of the airplane quickly shifted to the right. The pilot immediately applied right rudder and pulled the power back; however, the right ski sunk into the slush, and the airplane nosed over onto the right wing. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot reported 1,924 hours of total flight experience, which included about 1,660 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot landed the Cessna A185F, which was equipped with skis, on a frozen slush covered lake without incident. The pilot stated that the airplane required a lot of engine power to taxi. While taxiing, the pilot felt a slight bump, and initiated a left turn, which required additional engine power. The tail of the airplane quickly shifted to the right. The pilot immediately applied right rudder and pulled the power back; however, the right ski sunk into the slush, and the airplane nosed over onto the right wing. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot reported 1,924 hours of total flight experience, which included about 1,660 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4756E
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503862
- Airframe hours
- 6,364
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Public use
- Registered owner
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- NONE · Eagle Lake, ME
- Destination
- Ashland, ME
- Airport
- NONE · None
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,924 total · 1,658 in this make and model · 1,824 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- PQI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.