20190528005359A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-2 · Los Banos, CA · May 28, 2019

Date: May 28, 2019 · 15:00 local
Place: Los Banos, CA
Airport: San Luis Resevoir
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N501J
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA19CA108
Reported as: Dehavilland DHC-2
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,560 total111 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days

N501JRegistered now · Dehavilland DHC-2S/N 1451 Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-2

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.

On may 28, 2019, at approximately 1500, N501J a Dehavilland (DHC-2) attempted to land on the San Luis Resevoir and upon touching down on the water surface the aircraft flipped and was submerged upside down in the water. The pilot was able to escape the aircraft and swim to safety.

The pilot reported that the landing gear / wheels were extended when the water landing was attempted. The aircraft had take off from a paved runway airport and the landing gear / wheels had not been retracted after takeoff.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 28, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500, N501J A DEHAVILLAND (DHC-2) ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE SAN LUIS RESEVOIR AND UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON THE WATER SURFACE THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AND WAS SUBMERGED UPSIDE DOWN IN THE WATER. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THE AIRCRAFT AND SWIM TO SAFETY.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR / WHEELS WERE EXTENDED WHEN THE WATER LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD TAKE OFF FROM A PAVED RUNWAY AIRPORT AND THE LANDING GEAR / WHEELS HAD NOT BEEN RETRACTED AFTER TAKEOFF.

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 GAA19CA108Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportHollister, CAThe pilot's failure to retract the amphibious float's landing gear wheels before landing on the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use the after takeoff and before landing checklists.May 28, 2019 · Substantial damage