- Date
- October 23, 1985, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Block Island, RI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8475QCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851023076569A
- Case key
- 30259
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 floatplane experienced a pwr loss about 15 miles south of martha's vineyard VOR. The eng manifold pressure dropped and the RPM became erratic. The plt attempted to restart the eng using primary and emergency fuel pumps but the eng would not restart. The plt contacted suffolk, martha vineyard and bridgeport towers giving his location and advising then of the ditching. The acft sank in the water and was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8475Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503714
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Grey L. Reigler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1985 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- FOK · Brookhaven, NY
- Destination
- Falmouth, MA
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,858 total · 325 in this make and model · 772 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.