- Date
- May 30, 2013, 14:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77206Cessna U206G
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage FSDO
- Case key
- 87083
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate airspeed control during a glassy water landing, which resulted in an excessive sink rate, and a hard landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing the float-equipped airplane at a remote lake. He stated that during the initial approach, he noticed the lake was extremely glassy. He set up for a glassy water landing with an indicated airspeed of 60 knots, and a descent rate of 100 to 200 feet per minute. After he crossed the shoreline, he noticed his airspeed had decreased to between 50 and 55 knots, and his rate of descent was more than 200 feet per minute. He added power to correct the condition, but the airplane hit the water hard and bounced. He said that he started to go around, but decided that his angle of attack was too high, and he reduced the power and let the airplane contact the water again. The airplane bounced again, then settled into the water and came to a stop. During the landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing the float-equipped airplane at a remote lake. He stated that during the initial approach, he noticed the lake was extremely glassy. He set up for a glassy water landing with an indicated airspeed of 60 knots, and a descent rate of 100 to 200 feet per minute. After he crossed the shoreline, he noticed his airspeed had decreased to between 50 and 55 knots, and his rate of descent was more than 200 feet per minute. He added power to correct the condition, but the airplane hit the water hard and bounced. He said that he started to go around, but decided that his angle of attack was too high, and he reduced the power and let the airplane contact the water again. The airplane bounced again, then settled into the water and came to a stop. During the landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77206
- Reported as
- Cessna U206G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20603771
- Airframe hours
- 2,839
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Steller Air
- Registered owner
- Venture Alaska LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2013 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- 5BL · Homer, AK
- Destination
- 5Z9 · King Salmon, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 5Z9 · Lake Brooks Seaplane, runway 18, water
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,764 total · 65 in this make and model · 6,562 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.