All's Well After C180 Loses Power

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 10.30.06 1600 EST: We're learning more of the circumstances behind an incident this weekend involving a Cessna 180 Skywagon seaplane in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune reports the aircraft (similar to type shown above) lost altitude over Forest Lake Saturday... and landed hard. So hard, in fact, that two passengers onboard the plane were thrown into the water.

The two women -- one 35 years old, the other, 47 -- were rescued, and taken to an area hospital. The Washington County Sheriff's Office reports they are both being treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

As for the Skywagon... the harsh landing caused the plane to lose its floats, but the pilot was able to recover. The 44-year-old pilot was later able to land the stricken plane safely on a nearby grass landing strip. Neither the pilot nor another passenger onboard were injured.

The FAA is investigating.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 9117T        Make/Model: C180      Description: 180, Skywagon 180 (U-17C)
  Date: 10/28/2006     Time: 1651
 
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial
 
LOCATION
  City: FOREST LAKE   State: MN   Country: US
 
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT LOST POWER, FLOATS FELL OFF, TWO PASSENGERS JUMPED OUT INTO THE LAKE,
  THE PILOT WAS THEN ABLE TO LAND AT A GRASS STIP, FOREST LAKE, MN
 
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
 
WEATHER: METAR KROS 281636Z AUTO 29009KT 10SM CLR 06/M03 A2978
 
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Cruise      Operation: OTHER
 
  Departed: FOREST LAKE, MN             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

FMI: www.faa.gov