# NTSB FTW02TA007: Cessna A185F, N727, Houma, LA, October 3, 2001

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report
- Date: October 3, 2001, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place: Houma, LA
- Coordinates: 29.579008, -90.810096 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5790&lon=-90.8101&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report February 20, 2002
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: U.S. Department of the Interior
- NTSB case key (mKey): 53580
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW02TA007
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53580/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02TA007

## Probable cause

the pilot's high flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - flare - high, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

The pilot was landing the amphibian airplane on a hard surface runway when he "flared too high and made a hard landing."  One of the airplane's fuselage bulkheads sustained structural damage.

## Factual narrative

On October 3, 2001, at 0900 central daylight time, a Cessna A185F floatplane, N727, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Houma-Terrebonne Airport, Houma, Louisiana.  The airplane was registered to the U.S. Department of the Interior and was operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.  The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight.  The flight departed Lafayette, Louisiana, at 0800.

According to a representative from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the pilot was landing on runway 18 at Houma, when he flared too high and made a hard landing.  The representative stated that one of the fuselage bulkheads sustained structural damage.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N727](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N727), registered now, S/N 18504371, built 1982 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna A185F
- Registry model: [Cessna A185F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (registry code 2072821) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 18504371
- Airframe hours: 6778
- Engines: Continental IO-550-D 300 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Positioning, Part 91
- Operator: U.S. Geological Survey, doing business as U.S. Geological Survey
- Registered owner: U.S. Department of Interior
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, July 18, 2001, 145 hours before
- Departed: LFT, Lafayette, LA
- Destination: HUM, Houma, LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: HUM, Houma-Terrebonne, runway 18, 6,508 × 150 ft, concrete

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 2,700 total, 2,600 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 61 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20011003038179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011003038179A), Oct 3, 2001: Cessna A185F, Houma, LA, No damage. (-23) Pilot levelled off too high during landing, stalled and landed hard. The aircraft's landing gear collapsed and there was damage to the firewall.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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