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19990213001419A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Maule M7235 · Boulder City, NV · February 13, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 13, 1999 · 12:22 local
Place
Boulder City, NV
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N747CL
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX99LA098
Reported as
Maule M7235
Reported engine
Lycoming O540J1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,351 total120 in this make and model34 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Seaplane attempted to land on lake meade with the landing gear down. And the acft sank in the lake. Other circumstances are unknown. Pilot in command stated he took off from north las vegas airport, did not raise the landing gear after departure. While approaching to land on lake mead he still neglected to raise the landing gear. He had no explanation for this checklist error. No turther action necessary or required. (-23) no narrative (.4) the aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, landed on water with the wheels extended and nosed over. The pilot reported that he had recently received training in a land based retractable gear aircraft, which reinforced habits opposite those needed for the floatplane landing on water. He failed to retract the wheels of the floatplane after takeoff from a land airport because of distractions caused by radio problems and complex air traffic control procedures. He said he verified the wheel position before landing in the water but the amber wheels down indicator 'didn't register.'

As the FAA filed it

SEAPLANE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON LAKE MEADE WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. AND THE ACFT SANK IN THE LAKE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. PILOT IN COMMAND STATED HE TOOK OFF FROM NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT, DID NOT RAISE THE LANDING GEAR AFTER DEPARTURE. WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND ON LAKE MEAD HE STILL NEGLECTED TO RAISE THE LANDING GEAR. HE HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS CHECKLIST ERROR. NO TURTHER ACTION NECESSARY OR REQUIRED. (-23) NO NARRATIVE (.4) THE AIRCRAFT, EQUIPPED WITH AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS, LANDED ON WATER WITH THE WHEELS EXTENDED AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED TRAINING IN A LAND BASED RETRACTABLE GEAR AIRCRAFT, WHICH REINFORCED HABITS OPPOSITE THOSE NEEDED FOR THE FLOATPLANE LANDING ON WATER. HE FAILED TO RETRACT THE WHEELS OF THE FLOATPLANE AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A LAND AIRPORT BECAUSE OF DISTRACTIONS CAUSED BY RADIO PROBLEMS AND COMPLEX AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES. HE SAID HE VERIFIED THE WHEEL POSITION BEFORE LANDING IN THE WATER BUT THE AMBER WHEELS DOWN INDICATOR 'DIDN'T REGISTER.'

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX99LA098Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBoulder City, NVThe failure of the pilot-in-command to properly position the floatplane landing gear for a water landing and failure to verify the landing gear position resulting in an inadvertent wheels down landing on water.Feb 13, 1999 · Substantial damage