Cessna A185F accident near Raymond, Nebraska, December 2, 1999
On December 2, 1999 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N1756R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raymond, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's lack of recent experience in the type of aircraft and type of operation, and the pilot not maintaining directional control. A finding was the glassy condition of the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 1999 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Raymond, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1756R · registry record · serial 18502476
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a local maintenance test flight. He said he had no intentions of landing on the water. He got closer to the lake where he elected to land and double check the floats. The pilot observed the shoreline through the right window to offset the glassy water conditions. He said that the touch down was smooth, the plane yawed to the right, and the right float felt like it was being pulled out from under the airplane. He stated he felt the right wing go down and the nose slam into the water. The window was broken out and water entered the cabin. He said he may of hit something in the water. He said, 'If the right float shows no damage then I would use an educated guess that Pilot error should be considered.' The logbook indicated .2 hours of flight time in the accident type aircraft in the last 90 days and the logbook did not list any water landings within the last 90 days. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane, the lake, and said, 'An on scene investigation of the aircraft and crash site did not indicate any pre-impact damage to the aircraft or amphibian floats.' The float's landing gear was found retracted.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 37,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNK Lincoln NE at 4:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from LNK, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N1756R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.