- Date
- May 5, 2015, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N669RJRobert M. Jones Zenith CH 701
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150505007569A
- Case key
- 91138
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 excessive descent rate and subsequent hard landing during the landing flare/touchdown.
Findings · 4
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 sport pilot reported that he was landing his float-equipped, experimental amateur-built airplane on a remote, smooth and glassy water lake. The pilot said that during the approach, just before touchdown, the airplane encountered a slight downdraft, and the airplane's right float struck the water, which pivoted it to the right. The left wing subsequently struck the water, and the airplane nosed over and sank. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The sport pilot reported that he was landing his float-equipped, experimental amateur-built airplane on a remote, smooth and glassy water lake. The pilot said that during the approach, just before touchdown, the airplane encountered a slight downdraft, and the airplane's right float struck the water, which pivoted it to the right. The left wing subsequently struck the water, and the airplane nosed over and sank. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N669RJ
- Reported as
- Robert M. Jones Zenith CH 701 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-4226
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 702
- Engine
- Rotax SEE BOMBADIER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jones Robert M
- Registered owner
- Jones Robert M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 2015 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- L95 · Big Lake, AK
- Destination
- Palmer, AK
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 985 total · 675 in this make and model · 925 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 25, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 885 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.