# Water - Type: NTSB finding subsection - Path: [Environmental issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03) › [Physical environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/0302) › [Terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/030210) › Water - NTSB code: 03021020 - Cases: 97 - In the probable cause: 27 - Fatal cases: 21 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md - Cases with it in the probable cause: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md?cause=1 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020 ## Cases per year (in the probable cause / all) - 2008: 1 / 20 - 2009: 1 / 6 - 2010: 0 / 6 - 2011: 0 / 3 - 2012: 1 / 6 - 2013: 2 / 5 - 2014: 1 / 6 - 2015: 1 / 7 - 2016: 3 / 7 - 2017: 2 / 7 - 2018: 2 / 5 - 2019: 4 / 6 - 2020: 1 / 3 - 2021: 2 / 3 - 2022: 1 / 1 - 2023: 1 / 1 - 2024: 2 / 3 - 2025: 1 / 1 - 2026: 1 / 1 ## Defining events in these cases - [Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341): 14 cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 10 cases - [Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342): 7 cases - [Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220): 6 cases - [Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230): 5 cases - [Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192): 5 cases - [Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120): 5 cases - [Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096): 4 cases - [Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095): 4 cases - [Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000): 4 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii): 4 cases - [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s): 3 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-mariner): 2 cases - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 2 cases - [Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d): 2 cases - [Consolidated Aeronautics LAKE LA-4-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/consolidated-aeronautics-lake-la-4-200): 2 cases - [Cessna T210L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210l): 2 cases - [Cessna 180](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180): 2 cases - [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m): 2 cases - [Bell 407](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407): 2 cases ## Other findings in the same cases - [Altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012) (Aircraft): 21 cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 19 cases - [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000) (Not determined): 17 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 14 cases - [Dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020) (Environmental issues): 7 cases - [Spatial disorientation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022025) (Personnel issues): 7 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010) (Aircraft): 7 cases - [Monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545) (Personnel issues): 6 cases - [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 5 cases - [Pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022) (Aircraft): 5 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB ERA26LA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA261), Jul 5, 2026: Kodiak Kodiak 100 (N726SH), New York, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: An inadvertent collision with a large wave during touchdown on a river, which resulted in a subsequent bounce and hard landing. - [NTSB ANC25LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA101), Sep 1, 2025: Cessna 180 (N2996C), Willow, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to takeoff from an unsuitable runway due to large puddles of water, which resulted in a nose over. - [NTSB ANC24FA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24FA032), May 17, 2024: Taylorcraft BC12-D (N95744), Nondalton, AK, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The non-certificated pilot’s continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into the water. - [NTSB ERA24LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA171), Apr 9, 2024: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N331EL), South Kingstown, RI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering at low altitude. - [NTSB CEN24LA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA112), Feb 7, 2024: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N4054Y), Tupelo, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from water during a dark night landing. - [NTSB ANC23FA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23FA056), Jul 20, 2023: Bell 206-L4 (N311MH), Wainwright, AK, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude over a large body of water toward featureless terrain, which resulted in a loss of visual clues and controlled flight into terrain. - [NTSB ERA22LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA209), Apr 26, 2022: Garlick Helicopters OH-58A+ (N281SP), Oakland, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue the low-altitude aerial application flight over water conditions that degraded his depth perception, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the water. - [NTSB ERA22LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA043), Oct 31, 2021: Piper PA-28-236 (N2186U), Orleans, MA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control while maneuvering over water in dark night conditions. - [NTSB CEN22LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA015), Oct 9, 2021: Zuber Thomas P Zuber Super Drifter (N70TZ), Horseshoe Bay, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to adequately monitor airspeed during a low-level turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with the water. - [NTSB CEN21LA447](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA447), Sep 19, 2021: Morgan Sport Copter Vortex (N924WG), Kingsland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s diverted attention which resulted in an inadvertent descent and subsequent collision with a lake. NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.