What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
When: July 1, 2018 @ 15:30 EST
Where: Cessna A185F, registration N14ED with the pilot being the sole occupant on board flying, took off from fort lauderdale international airport (fll) and repositioned the aircraft to the Miami Seaplane Base (X44). During the landing on the water at X44 the aircraft landed with the landing gear down and the aircraft immediately flipped over, landing upside down.
Examination of the aircraft and crash site:
The aircraft was located on the Miami Seaplane Base (X44) in the upright position. The Cessna A185F, N14ED attempted a landing on the water in the channel and crashed on the south side of the channel near the Miami Seaplane Base (X44) at the estimated position of N25-46-53 W081-10-37 on the estimated heading of 150 degrees magnetic heading.
The aircraft initially made contact with the water with the landing gear down in the middle of a channel.
The aircraft immediately pivoted around the landing gear, causing the aircraft to land upside down.
Only the floats, showing the landing gear in the extended position were above the surface of the water. The rest of the aircraft was submerged.
According to surveillance video, the pilot, and eye witnesses, the pilot had to egress the aircraft through the window, underwater.
The pilot was assisted by a Florida wildlife commission marine patrol officer who was in a vessel nearby. The pilot was transported by the vessel to an ambulance near the channel to provide transportation to jackson memorial hospital. The airman was discharged roughly an hour later on his own accord, suffering a minor injury which was a small cut on his forehead.
The coast guard was in contact with staff from the Miami Seaplane Base and stated that the aircraft needed to be removed from the channel. Personnel coordinated with a marine tug and a crane to remove the aircraft from the water to its location, upright, on the seaplane base. In the process of rotating the aircraft right-side up, the seawall was used as a pivot point to rotate the aircraft right side up. In this process, the aircraft was damaged from the attachment points with rope.
At approximately 15:45 pm this FAA inspector arrived on scene, at the Miami Seaplane Base (X44) and found the aircraft upright with water still present inside the aircraft.
Miscellaneous:
On July 1, 2018, at approximately 11:00AM eastern standard time, the Cessna A185F, N14ED attempted a landing on the water in the channel and crashed on the south side of the channel near the Miami Seaplane Base (X44) at the estimated position of N25-46-53 W081-10-37 on the estimated heading of 150 degrees magnetic heading.
According to the pilot, he departed fort lauderdale and never retracted the landing gear upon taking off. As the pilot continued the flight, he thought that the landing gear was retracted, although it was in fact never retracted, and proceeded to land on the water with the landing gear down. The pilot stated that as he landed, he immediately saw water and rotated very fast upside down.
The pilot completed a second in command proficiency check in a caravan with a 135 operator, in June 2017. The pilot also completed a biennal flight review in April 2017. The airman has roughly 100 hours logged in the last 90 days.
Video of the crash was obtained from Florida wildlife commission officer and is included in this investigation.
The aircraft was on a 91.147 letter of authorization. This aircraft was not conducting a sightseeing operation when the accident happened. It was in fact repositioning from fll to X44
As the FAA filed it
WHEN: JULY 1, 2018 @ 15:30 EST
WHERE: CESSNA A185F, REGISTRATION N14ED WITH THE PILOT BEING THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD FLYING, TOOK OFF FROM FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FLL) AND REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE (X44). DURING THE LANDING ON THE WATER AT X44 THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY FLIPPED OVER, LANDING UPSIDE DOWN.
EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASH SITE:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE (X44) IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE CESSNA A185F, N14ED ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON THE WATER IN THE CHANNEL AND CRASHED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHANNEL NEAR THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE (X44) AT THE ESTIMATED POSITION OF N25-46-53 W081-10-37 ON THE ESTIMATED HEADING OF 150 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING.
THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHANNEL.
THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY PIVOTED AROUND THE LANDING GEAR, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND UPSIDE DOWN.
ONLY THE FLOATS, SHOWING THE LANDING GEAR IN THE EXTENDED POSITION WERE ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBMERGED.
ACCORDING TO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, THE PILOT, AND EYE WITNESSES, THE PILOT HAD TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE WINDOW, UNDERWATER.
THE PILOT WAS ASSISTED BY A FLORIDA WILDLIFE COMMISSION MARINE PATROL OFFICER WHO WAS IN A VESSEL NEARBY. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED BY THE VESSEL TO AN AMBULANCE NEAR THE CHANNEL TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE AIRMAN WAS DISCHARGED ROUGHLY AN HOUR LATER ON HIS OWN ACCORD, SUFFERING A MINOR INJURY WHICH WAS A SMALL CUT ON HIS FOREHEAD.
THE COAST GUARD WAS IN CONTACT WITH STAFF FROM THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE AND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CHANNEL. PERSONNEL COORDINATED WITH A MARINE TUG AND A CRANE TO REMOVE THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE WATER TO ITS LOCATION, UPRIGHT, ON THE SEAPLANE BASE. IN THE PROCESS OF ROTATING THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT-SIDE UP, THE SEAWALL WAS USED AS A PIVOT POINT TO ROTATE THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT SIDE UP. IN THIS PROCESS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE ATTACHMENT POINTS WITH ROPE.
AT APPROXIMATELY 15:45 PM THIS FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE, AT THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE (X44) AND FOUND THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT WITH WATER STILL PRESENT INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT.
MISCELLANEOUS:
ON JULY 1, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, THE CESSNA A185F, N14ED ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON THE WATER IN THE CHANNEL AND CRASHED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHANNEL NEAR THE MIAMI SEAPLANE BASE (X44) AT THE ESTIMATED POSITION OF N25-46-53 W081-10-37 ON THE ESTIMATED HEADING OF 150 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED FORT LAUDERDALE AND NEVER RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR UPON TAKING OFF. AS THE PILOT CONTINUED THE FLIGHT, HE THOUGHT THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN FACT NEVER RETRACTED, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON THE WATER WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE LANDED, HE IMMEDIATELY SAW WATER AND ROTATED VERY FAST UPSIDE DOWN.
THE PILOT COMPLETED A SECOND IN COMMAND PROFICIENCY CHECK IN A CARAVAN WITH A 135 OPERATOR, IN JUNE 2017. THE PILOT ALSO COMPLETED A BIENNAL FLIGHT REVIEW IN APRIL 2017. THE AIRMAN HAS ROUGHLY 100 HOURS LOGGED IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
VIDEO OF THE CRASH WAS OBTAINED FROM FLORIDA WILDLIFE COMMISSION OFFICER AND IS INCLUDED IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A 91.147 LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CONDUCTING A SIGHTSEEING OPERATION WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. IT WAS IN FACT REPOSITIONING FROM FLL TO X44
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.