C-185 on floats performs a less than satisfactory takeoff procedure. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	283911
Time
Date	199409
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewn
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
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	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	283911
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was a C185 on wipline 3730 amphibious floats. After a water takeoff, climb rate appeared insufficient to safely clear trees. Started left turn and aircraft stalled and settled down on water. Landing was hard, but no injuries and no apparent aircraft damage. Continued takeoff, and flew to rdu normally and without incident. After tying aircraft down, noticed damage to wing tip. Sent aircraft to shop. Shop reported spar damage and skin wrinkling on left wing and skin wrinkling on top of fuselage. Conclusion is probably that left wing tip contacted water, but it is a remote possibility that wing was damaged prior. This is not likely, because aircraft was preflted and loaded from left side. Repetitions could be avoided by careful preflight (possibly), aborting takeoff if any doubt about ability to clear obstacles, keeping airspeed well above stall, especially above the increased stall speed in a turn, and avoidance turns until a safe, recoverable altitude is reached.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-185 ON FLOATS PERFORMS A LESS THAN SATISFACTORY TKOF PROC. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS A C185 ON WIPLINE 3730 AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS. AFTER A WATER TKOF, CLB RATE APPEARED INSUFFICIENT TO SAFELY CLR TREES. STARTED L TURN AND ACFT STALLED AND SETTLED DOWN ON WATER. LNDG WAS HARD, BUT NO INJURIES AND NO APPARENT ACFT DAMAGE. CONTINUED TKOF, AND FLEW TO RDU NORMALLY AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER TYING ACFT DOWN, NOTICED DAMAGE TO WING TIP. SENT ACFT TO SHOP. SHOP RPTED SPAR DAMAGE AND SKIN WRINKLING ON L WING AND SKIN WRINKLING ON TOP OF FUSELAGE. CONCLUSION IS PROBABLY THAT L WING TIP CONTACTED WATER, BUT IT IS A REMOTE POSSIBILITY THAT WING WAS DAMAGED PRIOR. THIS IS NOT LIKELY, BECAUSE ACFT WAS PREFLTED AND LOADED FROM L SIDE. REPETITIONS COULD BE AVOIDED BY CAREFUL PREFLT (POSSIBLY), ABORTING TKOF IF ANY DOUBT ABOUT ABILITY TO CLR OBSTACLES, KEEPING AIRSPD WELL ABOVE STALL, ESPECIALLY ABOVE THE INCREASED STALL SPD IN A TURN, AND AVOIDANCE TURNS UNTIL A SAFE, RECOVERABLE ALT IS REACHED.

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.