What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
From subject statement
"Departed 08, announcing on CTAF that I was staying in the pattern. With the relatively light winds, the aircraft climbed very well and I estimated I was more than 100 feet off the ground before passing the first taxiway intersection.
At that moment, I would have normally put the gear up. But since I still had another 2000 feet of usable runway, I opted to leave it down for the moment in case of an engine failure.
I neglected putting it up as a passed the end of the runway.
I made a crosswind turn less than a ¼ mile from the end of the runway, followed by a downwind turn about ¼ mile north of the runway. Mid field, I announced on CTAF that I would be performing a water landing just west of the airport, in the pattern for runway 8. I used the downwind as an inspection pass to check for boats, debris, water conditions (noted as glassy). There was one boat travelling at a high rate of speed westbound next to the airport that was in my identified touchdown zone. I estimated that he would be clear by the time I touched down, and most of his wake would have dissipated.
About ¼ mile north of the james white parkway bridge, I reduced airspeed to less than 80MPH, set flaps and trim for landing and turned base. I announced on CTAF that I was turning base for runway 08 for a water landing west of the airport. I usually do this not only to alert other planes in the pattern, but as a separate check for myself to verify gear position.
Unfortunately, while I think I looked at the gear indicator, for some reason, I did not process that it was green for a runway landing. The landing gear was down and indicated as such and I did not notice. I think I was distracted or lost focus. I know I was watching water conditions / wake and rechecking my landing spot most of the time I was on base.
Turning final, this was my other place to re-verify gear position. Again, I missed it. I know that I re-checked flaps and trim and was concentrating on airspeed and pitch attitude. At that point, I became hyper focused on my landing area and maintaining optimal airspeed for a water touchdown.
As the FAA filed it
FROM SUBJECT STATEMENT
"DEPARTED 08, ANNOUNCING ON CTAF THAT I WAS STAYING IN THE PATTERN. WITH THE RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED VERY WELL AND I ESTIMATED I WAS MORE THAN 100 FEET OFF THE GROUND BEFORE PASSING THE FIRST TAXIWAY INTERSECTION.
AT THAT MOMENT, I WOULD HAVE NORMALLY PUT THE GEAR UP. BUT SINCE I STILL HAD ANOTHER 2000 FEET OF USABLE RUNWAY, I OPTED TO LEAVE IT DOWN FOR THE MOMENT IN CASE OF AN ENGINE FAILURE.
I NEGLECTED PUTTING IT UP AS A PASSED THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
I MADE A CROSSWIND TURN LESS THAN A ¼ MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY A DOWNWIND TURN ABOUT ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. MID FIELD, I ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT I WOULD BE PERFORMING A WATER LANDING JUST WEST OF THE AIRPORT, IN THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 8. I USED THE DOWNWIND AS AN INSPECTION PASS TO CHECK FOR BOATS, DEBRIS, WATER CONDITIONS (NOTED AS GLASSY). THERE WAS ONE BOAT TRAVELLING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WESTBOUND NEXT TO THE AIRPORT THAT WAS IN MY IDENTIFIED TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I ESTIMATED THAT HE WOULD BE CLEAR BY THE TIME I TOUCHED DOWN, AND MOST OF HIS WAKE WOULD HAVE DISSIPATED.
ABOUT ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE JAMES WHITE PARKWAY BRIDGE, I REDUCED AIRSPEED TO LESS THAN 80MPH, SET FLAPS AND TRIM FOR LANDING AND TURNED BASE. I ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT I WAS TURNING BASE FOR RUNWAY 08 FOR A WATER LANDING WEST OF THE AIRPORT. I USUALLY DO THIS NOT ONLY TO ALERT OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN, BUT AS A SEPARATE CHECK FOR MYSELF TO VERIFY GEAR POSITION.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE I THINK I LOOKED AT THE GEAR INDICATOR, FOR SOME REASON, I DID NOT PROCESS THAT IT WAS GREEN FOR A RUNWAY LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND INDICATED AS SUCH AND I DID NOT NOTICE. I THINK I WAS DISTRACTED OR LOST FOCUS. I KNOW I WAS WATCHING WATER CONDITIONS / WAKE AND RECHECKING MY LANDING SPOT MOST OF THE TIME I WAS ON BASE.
TURNING FINAL, THIS WAS MY OTHER PLACE TO RE-VERIFY GEAR POSITION. AGAIN, I MISSED IT. I KNOW THAT I RE-CHECKED FLAPS AND TRIM AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON AIRSPEED AND PITCH ATTITUDE. AT THAT POINT, I BECAME HYPER FOCUSED ON MY LANDING AREA AND MAINTAINING OPTIMAL AIRSPEED FOR A WATER TOUCHDOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N912GB · 1
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