- Date
- April 30, 2020, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anoka, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1669MCessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20200430004969A
- Case key
- 101223
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 inadvertent extension of the landing gear and his subsequent water landing with the wheels extended.
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 conducting a local flight to gain familiarity with the amphibious airplane's recently installed avionics. During a runway change at his home (land) airport, the pilot elected to conduct a water landing to a lake about 12 miles north, during which he inadvertently extended the landing gear on approach and landed on the water with the wheels extended. The airplane immediately nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water, substantially damaging both wings. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1669M
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18501861
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 3,120
- Engine
- Continental IO0520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- C Y Transport Llc
- Registered owner
- C Y Transport Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2020
- Departed
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,823 total · 1,238 in this make and model · 1,781 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KANE, 9 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.1 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.