Cessna A185F N6320N

Summary

On 24 July 2008 at about 22:15 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N6320N, operated by Mark Storer Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Shelton, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 July 2008 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Shelton, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Nahwatzel

Coordinates

47.2639, -123.3331

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N6320N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mark Storer Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shelton → Auburn

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08FA244

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to attain and maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses observed the float-equipped airplane land on the lake and taxi to the middle where the engine was shut down. Two men were seen exiting the airplane and sitting on the pontoons for about 30 minutes, before going back into the airplane. The airplane then taxied several more times across the lake, consistent with a typical procedure used by float plane pilots to rough up glassy water conditions to enable the airplane to lift off sooner. The airplane then taxied to the south end, turned, and departed to the northeast. The airplane lifted off near the end of the lake and attained an altitude of about 100 feet above the water and clear of trees when the witnesses observed the wings begin to wobble. The airplane rolled hard to the left and collided with the terrain in a nose-down uncontrolled descent consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Some of the witnesses detected no change in the engine sounds and commented that there were no signs of engine problems. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The length of the lake traveling from the south end to the northeast end is approximately 5,000 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.