- Date
- March 7, 2011, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Belle Chase, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N434JGCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20110307004969A
- Case key
- 78515
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The pilot's failure to ensure that the landing gear was retracted for the water landing.
Findings · 1
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
According to the pilot, he was planning on performing a landing on a runway and extended the landing gear. During the approach, he elected to perform a water landing instead, due to the 90 degree crosswind. While performing the water landing, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water. The pilot reported that he did not complete a second checklist prior to landing and did not ensure that the landing gear was retracted. The lower cowling was crushed aft and wrinkled, the left wing leading edge was crushed aft, and the left wing was bent down. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was planning on performing a runway landing, and had extended the landing gear. During the approach, he elected to perform a water landing, due to the 90 degree crosswind. During the water landing the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water. The pilot reported that he did not complete a second checklist prior to landing and did not ensure that the landing gear was retracted. The lower cowling was crushed aft and wrinkled, the left wing leading edge was crushed aft, and the left wing bent down. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N434JG
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503785
- Airframe hours
- 4,986
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 65LA · Belle Chase, LA
- Destination
- 65LA · Belle Chase, LA
- Airport
- 65LA · Southern Seaplane Airport, runway 02, 4,500 × 25 ft, 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 600 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KNBG, 2 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB 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.