- Date
- August 25, 1989, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Deer Isle, ME
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4840CCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890825031829A
- Case key
- 36466
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 inadequate preflight in determining the adequacy of the takeoff environment under the existing adverse wind conditions.
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 float equipped Cessna took off from a narrow lake with strong gusty crosswinds. Once airborne the pilot decided to abort due to an inadequate climb rate to clear the surrounding terrain. He ran out of water & crashed into trees on the shoreline. Wind gusting 28 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4840C
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502608
- Airframe hours
- 820
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John H. Reid
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1989
- Destination
- Cranland, ME
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 19 knots, gusting 28
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.