- Date
- November 1, 2009, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Three Lakes, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4070ZPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091101050909A
- Case key
- 75004
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 improper flare and touchdown during the water landing.
Findings · 2
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 reported that he was landing the float equipped airplane on a lake. The winds were light and the lake had about 3 inch ripples on the water. He reported that the touchdown appeared normal, but a few seconds later the right wing went up and the left wing dipped in the water. The left wing was bent upward and sustained substantial damage. A witness reported that he observed the airplane flying slow over the water in a left bank when the airplane “dropped into the lake” with the left wing hitting the water. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the float equipped airplane on a lake. The winds were light and the lake had about 3 inch ripples on the water. He reported that the touchdown appeared normal, but a few seconds later the right wing went up and the left wing dipped in the water. The left wing was bent upward and sustained substantial damage. A witness reported that he observed the airplane flying slow over the water in a left bank when the airplane “dropped into the lake” with the left wing hitting the water. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4070Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8081
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Kluver
- Registered owner
- James D. Diss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EGV · Eagle River, WI
- Destination
- Three Lakes, WI
- Airport
- 40G · Three Lakes Marina
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,713 total · 26 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 470 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.