Narrative:

Aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, was on the water near wrightsville beach, nc. Wrightsville beach is approximately 5 mi east of the wilmington, nc, airport. Aircraft got caught in current, and was carried into pilings. Pilings damaged the right aileron, bending an area approximately 8 inches in diameter. Reporter checked damage, and verified that controls operated normally. Reporter then accelerated on the water to a speed of approximately 50 KTS, and rocked the wings to determine that ailerons were effective. Then, reporter accelerated off the water and again tested controls at an elevation of less than 10 ft. All controls functioned normally at all times. Aircraft does not have roll trim, but aircraft flew normally and did not need trim. Satisfied that the dent in the right aileron did not adversely affect flight characteristics, reporter flew aircraft first to wilmington airport, then to raleigh durham airport. There were no passenger aboard at any time. Reporter believes that aircraft was airworthy, and is filing the form for any research or statistical value it may have. Shortly after landing, the repair shop determined that there was no damage other than the dent in the aileron and a bent push rod. Both are in stock, and repairs were completed jan/thu/98. At the time the aircraft drifted into the piling, the aircraft was in salt water and it would have been difficult or impossible to secure the plane safely and make repairs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF C185 ON AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS OPERATED THE ACFT WHEN AN AILERON WAS DAMAGED WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL INSPECTION AND FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: ACFT, EQUIPPED WITH AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS, WAS ON THE WATER NEAR WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC. WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH IS APPROX 5 MI E OF THE WILMINGTON, NC, ARPT. ACFT GOT CAUGHT IN CURRENT, AND WAS CARRIED INTO PILINGS. PILINGS DAMAGED THE R AILERON, BENDING AN AREA APPROX 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER. RPTR CHKED DAMAGE, AND VERIFIED THAT CTLS OPERATED NORMALLY. RPTR THEN ACCELERATED ON THE WATER TO A SPD OF APPROX 50 KTS, AND ROCKED THE WINGS TO DETERMINE THAT AILERONS WERE EFFECTIVE. THEN, RPTR ACCELERATED OFF THE WATER AND AGAIN TESTED CTLS AT AN ELEVATION OF LESS THAN 10 FT. ALL CTLS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AT ALL TIMES. ACFT DOES NOT HAVE ROLL TRIM, BUT ACFT FLEW NORMALLY AND DID NOT NEED TRIM. SATISFIED THAT THE DENT IN THE R AILERON DID NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT FLT CHARACTERISTICS, RPTR FLEW ACFT FIRST TO WILMINGTON ARPT, THEN TO RALEIGH DURHAM ARPT. THERE WERE NO PAX ABOARD AT ANY TIME. RPTR BELIEVES THAT ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY, AND IS FILING THE FORM FOR ANY RESEARCH OR STATISTICAL VALUE IT MAY HAVE. SHORTLY AFTER LNDG, THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE DENT IN THE AILERON AND A BENT PUSH ROD. BOTH ARE IN STOCK, AND REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED JAN/THU/98. AT THE TIME THE ACFT DRIFTED INTO THE PILING, THE ACFT WAS IN SALT WATER AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURE THE PLANE SAFELY AND MAKE REPAIRS.

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.