- Date
- August 10, 2015, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Emily, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N23DECessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Minneapolis FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150810012539A
- Case key
- 91765
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 retract the landing gear, which resulted in a gear down water landing and a nose over.
Findings · 4
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 of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the initial climb from an airport runway, he was distracted by other airport traffic and forgot to retract the landing gear. As he approached his destination, which was a lake, he stated he did not perform the before landing checklist as he usually does, and failed to notice that the landing gear was still down. The pilot reported that his touchdown was smooth, but the airplane immediately nosed over and he felt "a fire hose of water" come through the windscreen. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot reported that he was submerged underwater, but was able to remain calm and slip out the pilot side window. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the initial climb from an airport runway, he was distracted by other airport traffic and forgot to retract the landing gear. As he approached his destination, which was a lake, he stated he did not perform the before landing checklist as he usually does, and failed to notice that the landing gear was still down. The pilot reported that his touchdown was smooth, but the airplane immediately nosed over and he felt "a fire hose of water" come through the windscreen. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot reported that he was submerged underwater, but was able to remain calm and slip out the pilot side window. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23DE
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503969
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 2,737.7
- Engine
- Continental IO-550 D16B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2015
- Departed
- CFE · Buffalo, MN
- Destination
- None · Emily, MN
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,465 total · 667 in this make and model · 1,465 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KPWC, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 24, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.