Cessna A185F N4944E
26 August 1995 · Block Island, Rhode Island, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 26 August 1995 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N4944E was involved in an accident near Block Island, Rhode Island, United States. 5 people were on board and 4 died. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Block Island, Rhode Island, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F
- Registration
- N4944E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- East Hampton → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC95FA203
People
4 people died, including 1 on the ground.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to touch down a sufficient distance from shore, and his delay in aborting the landing. In addition, the pilot exceeded the airplane's weight and balance limits which reduced the airplane's performance.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna A185F accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jan 1995 | Cessna A185F | Tehachapi, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 May 1995 | Cessna A185F | Oroville, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1996 | Cessna A185F | Belle Chase, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1994 | Cessna A185F | Kotzebue, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 1994 | Cessna A185F | Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States | Coffman, Edward K. | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 1994 | Cessna A185F | Sterling Hgts, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec 1995 | Piper J3F | Westerly, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1995 | Helio H-295 | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1995 | Piper PA-28-181 | West Kingston, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1995 | Cessna 140 | Richmond, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172A | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1994 | Beechcraft 58P | Newport, Rhode Island, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |