Small aircraft sel float plane sank during taxi from the dock due to water in the floats.

Attributes
ACN	324698
Time
Date	199512
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 14a
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skywagon 185
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 15350 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	324698
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft involved was a cessna 185 amphibious float plane. I was the pilot of the aircraft when on taxi out the aircraft submerged into lake norman, a lake approximately 30 mi north of charlotte, nc. Prior to this event the aircraft was brought down to lake norman by me on a ferry permit because the aircraft was out of annual inspection, and was to be brought to fort lauderdale for its owner. Upon arrival to the lake the float plane was docked at my residence in which it was then I decided to check the floats for water. Only to find out less than a cupful came out of each pump out and remembering that none came out of the forward pump out (pretty much air). Because of the small amount found in the other pump outs I recognized the lack of water found in the forward compartment was a non issue. Only later during taxi out to discover differently when a small amount of power was applied and the floats buried and pulled the aircraft under. The cause could be faulty pump out lines on ice due to cold winter operation. Therefore I feel that the float designer should give the pilot a bubble gauge or indicator so that if this is the problem, the pilot would not attempt movement of aircraft until the problem was solved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SEL FLOAT PLANE SANK DURING TAXI FROM THE DOCK DUE TO WATER IN THE FLOATS.

Narrative: THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS A CESSNA 185 AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT PLANE. I WAS THE PLT OF THE ACFT WHEN ON TAXI OUT THE ACFT SUBMERGED INTO LAKE NORMAN, A LAKE APPROX 30 MI N OF CHARLOTTE, NC. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO LAKE NORMAN BY ME ON A FERRY PERMIT BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION, AND WAS TO BE BROUGHT TO FORT LAUDERDALE FOR ITS OWNER. UPON ARR TO THE LAKE THE FLOAT PLANE WAS DOCKED AT MY RESIDENCE IN WHICH IT WAS THEN I DECIDED TO CHK THE FLOATS FOR WATER. ONLY TO FIND OUT LESS THAN A CUPFUL CAME OUT OF EACH PUMP OUT AND REMEMBERING THAT NONE CAME OUT OF THE FORWARD PUMP OUT (PRETTY MUCH AIR). BECAUSE OF THE SMALL AMOUNT FOUND IN THE OTHER PUMP OUTS I RECOGNIZED THE LACK OF WATER FOUND IN THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT WAS A NON ISSUE. ONLY LATER DURING TAXI OUT TO DISCOVER DIFFERENTLY WHEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF PWR WAS APPLIED AND THE FLOATS BURIED AND PULLED THE ACFT UNDER. THE CAUSE COULD BE FAULTY PUMP OUT LINES ON ICE DUE TO COLD WINTER OP. THEREFORE I FEEL THAT THE FLOAT DESIGNER SHOULD GIVE THE PLT A BUBBLE GAUGE OR INDICATOR SO THAT IF THIS IS THE PROB, THE PLT WOULD NOT ATTEMPT MOVEMENT OF ACFT UNTIL THE PROB WAS SOLVED.

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.