NYC95FA203

The flight had departed with three passengers and full fuel. After a 25 minute flight, the pilot made a water landing. The airplane touched down about 400 feet from the shore line, heading towards land. The landing was aborted about 300 feet from shore, short of rocks and swimmers. The airplane leveled off at 15 feet, then pitched up to clear a building and wires. It cleared the first set of wires and settled downward. The airplane then struck a second set of wires, an automobile, and collided with a building. The airplane's calculated landing weight was 3,790 pounds. The airplane manufacturer's maximum takeoff and landing gross weight, and performance charts for water operations, were based upon 3,100 pounds. A supplemental type certificate increased the airplane's maximum water operation takeoff and landing weight to 3,350 pounds. The pilot's operating handbook charts listed a water landing distance of 610 feet, and a water takeoff distance of 930 feet, at a gross weight of 3,100 pounds. The calculated center of gravity was forward of the airplane's limits.

History of flight

On August 26, 1995, at 1315 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A185F, an amphibian, N4944E, was destroyed when it collided with a building during initial climb after an aborted water landing near Block Island, Rhode Island. The private pilot, three passengers, and an automobile driver were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the personal flight that originated from East Hampton, New York, about 1250. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot/owner and two passengers departed from the pilot's private dock in Westport, Connecticut. They landed at the East Hampton Airport (HTO), refueled the airplane, and added a third passenger. The airplane then departed from HTO with four occupants and 88 gallons of fuel, for the 20 minute flight to Block Island.

Witnesses reported the airplane circled the Old Harbor area of Block Island at approximately 1,000 feet. It then descended and touched down on the water in a westerly direction outside of the harbor. A police officer who witnessed the event stated:

...At this time I saw the seaplane flying in very low from the east, in a westerly direction...The seaplane was traveling in a direct line/path into swimmers and people standing in the water...the plane first touched down in the ocean an estimated 300 to 400 feet off shore, and traveled an estimated 50 to 100 feet, slowing as if taxiing to come ashore. The plane then proceeded to takeoff again as it reached the area off shore, where boulders were protruding from the water's surface...the plane continued to travel westerly, it gathered very little altitude. The plane passed approximately 15 feet off ground...20 feet south of my position...The plane did not appear to be experiencing any obvious mechanical difficulties, there was no smoke emitting from the plane and no sounds of a faltering engine...

Another witness was a commercial airline pilot. In his written statement he said:

...The approach I thought, was too steep. It appeared that the pilot was trying to get the plane down as quickly as possible. I thought he was too close to the shore. The aircraft was not flared, or even rounded off from its approach. It was just driven onto the water. Its pitch attitude was flat to slightly nose low. When the aircraft initially touched down, it bounced hard back into the air roughly 5 to 7 feet... After the bounce the pilot pitched down to get the plane to the water again...when the plane touched down, the pilot immediately pulled back on the control wheel to try and dig the floats into the water...however, he had too much airspeed and the aircraft pitched up and only the aft foot...of the floats were in the water. At this point a go-around was initiated. Full power was applied. The aircraft immediately rose off of the water...As soon as the aircraft started climbing the pilot had to bank to the right. It appeared to me that he just missed the hotel...The water was smooth. The wind was out of the WNW[west-northwest]. There didn't appear to be any boats, rocks or swimmers in the way... nothing was wrong with the engine. It was developing full power...I have many thousands of hours in recips ...I know the sound of a continental engine with a three blade prop...

According to other witnesses, the airplane crossed the beach and wires in a nose up attitude of approximately 40 degrees. The airplane then descended and cut through a 2 inch telephone cable, struck the roof of an automobile, and collided with the front of a restaurant/gas station building. A post-crash fire consumed the airplane, building, and automobile.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight about 41 degrees, 11 minutes north latitude, and 71 degrees, 33 minutes west longitude.

Personnel information

The pilot, Mr. Michael H. Waldman, held a Private Pilot Certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea.

His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Third Class Medical Certificate was issued on December 21, 1993.

Mr. Waldman's pilot log book revealed that he received his initial private pilot rating in April 1992, and his seaplane rating in July 1992. Mr. Waldman had accumulated about 444 hours of total flight experience. His total seaplane experience was about 150 hours, of which 131 hours were in this make and model during the previous 120 days.

Other damage

Sharkey's Restaurant and the Corn Neck Fuel Station were co- located, about 340 feet northwest of the Block Island Old Harbor. Two gasoline pumps were located on the southeast side of the building. An automobile and driver were at the gas pumps at the time of the accident. The fuel pumps and tanks did not contribute to the fire.

Aerodrome information

The Block Island State Airport, located about 1 mile west of the Old Harbor area, was open and operating at the time of the accident.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 27, 1995. The examination revealed that all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The forward half of the airplane's fuselage came to rest inside of a building, on a magnetic bearing of 310 degrees.

Telephone poles along the road, about 40 feet in front of the building, had cables strung between them at 25 and 30 feet above the ground. The cables 30 feet above the ground were intact; however, the 2-inch-diameter telephone cable, at 25 feet, was cut in several places, perpendicular to the cable length.

An automobile parked 8 feet in front of the restaurant, had crease marks on the hood and roof. The width of the crease marks measured the same as width of the airplane's floats.

The airplane and building burned to the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed control continuity to all flight control attaching points. The flap handle was set to one notch of flaps, and the throttle and mixture controls were full forward. The pilot's and forward passenger's seat belt buckles were attached. The seat belt buckles for the rear passengers were unfastened. Examination of the cockpit area produced no other useful information due to impact and fire damage.

The engine and propeller hub remained attached to the airplane. The three propeller blades were burned/melted off, leaving 4 to 5 inch stubs. The engine was removed from the accident site and examined at a nearby facility.

Examination of the engine revealed that it was severely fire damaged. Components extensively burned and melted included, the oil pan, valve covers, magnetos, vacuum pump, starter, fuel flow divider, oil cooler, and propeller governor. The engine fuel pump was melted; however, the shaft was not sheared.

The engine could not be rotated; however, all connecting rods were bolted to the crankshaft, and all pistons were intact. All camshaft lifters were in place, and all of the valve springs and rocker arms were intact, except for the number five cylinder. The number five cylinder forward edge received impact damage, and the springs and rocker arms were missing.

The exhaust stack collectors were intact, and not obstructed or compressed.

Medical and pathological information

An autopsy was performed on Mr. Michael H. Waldman, on August 27, 1995, by Dr. Elizabeth A. Laposata, Chief Medical Examiner, Office of the State Medical Examiners, Providence, Rhode Island.

Toxicological testing was conducted by the FAA toxicology Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Additional information

The State of Rhode Island had only one recognized wat