Cessna A185 N1920Q

Summary

On 22 August 2019 at about 19:39 local time, a Cessna A185 registered N1920Q, operated by Acadian Aircraft Leasing Llc, was involved in an accident near Rangeley Lake, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 August 2019 at 19:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Rangeley Lake, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Rangeley Lake (M57)

Coordinates

44.6932, -69.3811

Aircraft

Cessna A185

Registration

N1920Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Acadian Aircraft Leasing Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rangeley → Bangor

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA513

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the floats, which led to his subsequent attempt to depart from a lake with damaged floats and led to a loss of roll control and the right wing impacting the water. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while departing from a lake, the float-equipped airplane was not "gaining airspeed as usual" and that the takeoff run was taking "longer." Before attempting to abort the takeoff, the left float lifted off the water, followed by the right float. While in ground effect, the floatplane started to roll right. The pilot corrected with full left aileron, but the floatplane continued to roll right. He then reduced power and applied 40º of flaps, but the floatplane continued to roll right, so he increased the throttle to full, and the right wing impacted the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that the floatplane impacted rocks while he was back taxiing to the dock after a previous flight but that he did not realize the floats had been damaged. Before the accident flight, he conducted a preflight inspection and did not find any residual water in the floats, but he did not examine the bottom of the floats because they were submerged in water. Photographs showed that the right float's keel was damaged.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.