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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 236277 |
Time | |
Date | 199303 |
Day | Tue |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : swd |
State Reference | AK |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : bkl |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 1295 flight time type : 441 |
ASRS Report | 236277 |
Events | |
Anomaly | other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable |
Consequence | other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After landing and while taxiing toward my remote parcel of land near the lake, the aircraft bogged down below normal taxiing speed. From the feel and sound I immediately thought it was 'overflow.' based upon my past experience with 'overflow' conditions while operating ski equipped aircraft, I did what is SOP to escape overflow, I added full power and tried to repos (I never intended to takeoff, I was way too slow to even consider flying). I also turned about 90 degrees to my right and towards the main ice area which had fresh wet drifted snow on it. The aircraft did not pick up any taxi speed and after about 40-60 more ft the engine and propeller began to suck water and ice and bogged down the rpms. (Events now are moving along at a very fast rate.) at that point I pulled power all the way back, but the aircraft was slowly sinking and then broke through and let down into the lake water. The engine quit, water rushed in on the floor boards and rapidly began filling the cabin. I removed headset, seat belts, in a split second (and switched the master off). I chose to exit the right door, since the right window opens (while the left does not) in case the door were to jam on the ice. When I opened the door, ice and water rushed in. I waited (as I learned from safety seminars and etc) for the rushing water to equalize and then I lunged outward and back-handed the leading edge of the wing successfully, keeping my upper torso out of the water. Then I grabbed the base of an antenna and flipped myself up on top of the cabin. I speed towards the tail not knowing the plane was not going to continue to sink. I jumped from near the vertical stabilizer over the horizontal stabilizer and past broken and weakened ice (an additional 3 ft or so). I landed on my toes as lightly as possible (not wanting to go swimming again) and walked off the lake. I went to my friend's cabin about 300-400 yards away and built a fire, and changed clothes. I had prearranged with an air taxi in seward to come pick me up, if for any reason I did not return by XA30 pm. I did that because I was worried I might get stuck in the new snow or not be able to restart my engine and since I was alone. In hindsight that was a good decision since the WX closed down the next day along the coast. I got home late that night and began organizing the helicopter recovery of the plane the next day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ON SKIES GETS BOGGED DOWN ON TAXI AFTER LNDG ON FROZEN LAKE.
Narrative: AFTER LNDG AND WHILE TAXIING TOWARD MY REMOTE PARCEL OF LAND NEAR THE LAKE, THE ACFT BOGGED DOWN BELOW NORMAL TAXIING SPD. FROM THE FEEL AND SOUND I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT IT WAS 'OVERFLOW.' BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH 'OVERFLOW' CONDITIONS WHILE OPERATING SKI EQUIPPED ACFT, I DID WHAT IS SOP TO ESCAPE OVERFLOW, I ADDED FULL PWR AND TRIED TO REPOS (I NEVER INTENDED TO TKOF, I WAS WAY TOO SLOW TO EVEN CONSIDER FLYING). I ALSO TURNED ABOUT 90 DEGS TO MY R AND TOWARDS THE MAIN ICE AREA WHICH HAD FRESH WET DRIFTED SNOW ON IT. THE ACFT DID NOT PICK UP ANY TAXI SPD AND AFTER ABOUT 40-60 MORE FT THE ENG AND PROP BEGAN TO SUCK WATER AND ICE AND BOGGED DOWN THE RPMS. (EVENTS NOW ARE MOVING ALONG AT A VERY FAST RATE.) AT THAT POINT I PULLED PWR ALL THE WAY BACK, BUT THE ACFT WAS SLOWLY SINKING AND THEN BROKE THROUGH AND LET DOWN INTO THE LAKE WATER. THE ENG QUIT, WATER RUSHED IN ON THE FLOOR BOARDS AND RAPIDLY BEGAN FILLING THE CABIN. I REMOVED HEADSET, SEAT BELTS, IN A SPLIT SECOND (AND SWITCHED THE MASTER OFF). I CHOSE TO EXIT THE R DOOR, SINCE THE R WINDOW OPENS (WHILE THE L DOES NOT) IN CASE THE DOOR WERE TO JAM ON THE ICE. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, ICE AND WATER RUSHED IN. I WAITED (AS I LEARNED FROM SAFETY SEMINARS AND ETC) FOR THE RUSHING WATER TO EQUALIZE AND THEN I LUNGED OUTWARD AND BACK-HANDED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING SUCCESSFULLY, KEEPING MY UPPER TORSO OUT OF THE WATER. THEN I GRABBED THE BASE OF AN ANTENNA AND FLIPPED MYSELF UP ON TOP OF THE CABIN. I SPD TOWARDS THE TAIL NOT KNOWING THE PLANE WAS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO SINK. I JUMPED FROM NEAR THE VERT STABILIZER OVER THE HORIZ STABILIZER AND PAST BROKEN AND WEAKENED ICE (AN ADDITIONAL 3 FT OR SO). I LANDED ON MY TOES AS LIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE (NOT WANTING TO GO SWIMMING AGAIN) AND WALKED OFF THE LAKE. I WENT TO MY FRIEND'S CABIN ABOUT 300-400 YARDS AWAY AND BUILT A FIRE, AND CHANGED CLOTHES. I HAD PREARRANGED WITH AN AIR TAXI IN SEWARD TO COME PICK ME UP, IF FOR ANY REASON I DID NOT RETURN BY XA30 PM. I DID THAT BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED I MIGHT GET STUCK IN THE NEW SNOW OR NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART MY ENG AND SINCE I WAS ALONE. IN HINDSIGHT THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION SINCE THE WX CLOSED DOWN THE NEXT DAY ALONG THE COAST. I GOT HOME LATE THAT NIGHT AND BEGAN ORGANIZING THE HELI RECOVERY OF THE PLANE THE NEXT DAY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.