Summary
On April 29, 2009, a Cessna A185F (N4603E) was involved in an accident near Patterson, LA. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed in a turn while attempting to return to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
The single-engine float plane was unable to maintain a climb after takeoff from a canal. The commercial pilot reported, that after climbing to about 200 feet, he "felt like the aircraft was slowly losing power...and was starting to descend." The only available landing area was a canal that was located 90 degrees off the left side of the airplane. The pilot elected to turn left, and estimated that while in a 30 degree angle of bank the airplane “stalled.” The pilot was able to get the wings level prior to touchdown. The airplane impacted the water in a nose down attitude and immediately nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The float landing gear separated from the fuselage during the impact and the airplane subsequently sank.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA272. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4603E.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed in a turn while attempting to return to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The single-engine float plane was unable to maintain a climb after takeoff from a canal. The commercial pilot reported, that after climbing to about 200 feet, he "felt like the aircraft was slowly losing power...and was starting to descend." The only available landing area was a canal that was located 90 degrees off the left side of the airplane. The pilot elected to turn left, and estimated that while in a 30 degree angle of bank the airplane “stalled.” The pilot was able to get the wings level prior to touchdown. The airplane impacted the water in a nose down attitude and immediately nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The float landing gear separated from the fuselage during the impact and the airplane subsequently sank. The pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. The reason for the reported loss of power was not determined.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA272