- Date
- July 25, 1997, 11:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Norway, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8717ZCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970725019799A
- Case key
- 39409
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 while maneuvering to avoid an obstacle.
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 was conducting floatplane operations on a lake. When he found himself fast and high on approach to a small area on the lake, he configured the airplane with 40 degrees of flaps. The airplane touched down flat and hard, and was headed for an obstruction in the water. The pilot's focus was on the obstruction in the water and he did not apply enough back pressure to the yoke. When the pilot added right rudder to avoid the obstruction, the airplane's left float submerged and the left wing impacted the water. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 1997, about 1140 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 185, a floatplane, N8717Z, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during landing at Norway Lake, Norway, Maine. The certificated student pilot was not injured. No flight plan was filed for the instructional flight that departed the Naples Seaplane Base, Naples, Maine, at 1120. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that he flew directly to Norway and performed a touch and go on the "big side" of the lake. He added that the winds were variable at 3 knots and the maneuver was "routine". After completing the maneuver, the pilot flew to the "small side" of the lake where he planned to perform another touch and go. He further stated, "I had previously landed here very easily which must have made me over confident."
The pilot added that on final, he was fast and high, so he configured the airplane with 40 degrees of flaps. He also stated that he didn't execute a go-around because of high terrain, and the fact that the airplane was configured with full flaps. According to the pilot, the airplane touched down flat, but hard, and was headed for an obstruction in the water. The pilot noted that his focus was on the obstruction, and that he did not apply enough back pressure to the yoke. When the pilot added right rudder to avoid the obstruction, the airplane's left float submerged and the left wing impacted the water. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8717Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-02901
- Airframe hours
- 3,371
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter M Bottomley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 76B · Randy Pond, ME
- Destination
- 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 23 in this make and model · 37 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BGR, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.