- Date
- August 10, 2015, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tyler, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6356ZRatte James Aventura II
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150810014249A
- Case key
- 91766
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 loss of airplane control during a go around, which resulted in impact with the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of seaplane rating and inexperience in the accident airplane.
Findings · 5
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 non-seaplane rated private pilot stated that his intention was to get comfortable with the airplane. He performed several maneuvers in the air, then seven uneventful touch-and-go water landings with half flaps extended. On the final landing attempt, he fully extended the flaps and had difficulty controlling the airplane. The airplane bounced on the water twice and the pilot initiated a go-around. The airplane veered left and was headed toward houses and boat docks; he maneuvered to ditch the airplane into the water to avoid a collision. The airplane impacted the water and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot egressed the airplane with minor injuries. The pilot's lack of experience in the airplane contributed to the loss of control during the go around.
Factual narrative
The non-seaplane rated private pilot stated that his intention was to get comfortable with the airplane. He performed several maneuvers in the air, then seven uneventful touch-and-go water landings with half flaps extended. On the final landing attempt, he fully extended the flaps and had difficulty controlling the airplane. The airplane bounced on the water twice and the pilot initiated a go-around. The airplane veered left and was headed toward houses and boat docks; he maneuvered to ditch the airplane into the water to avoid a collision. The airplane impacted the water and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot egressed the airplane with minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6356Z
- Reported as
- Ratte James Aventura II (II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- AP2A0045
- Airframe hours
- 143.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912 UL, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 2014
- Departed
- Tyler, TX
- Destination
- Tyler, TX
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYR, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.