- Date
- June 12, 2016, 08:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- Greers Ferry, AR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1244LConsolidated Aeronautics Lake LA 4
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160612012219A
- Case key
- 93377
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 amphibious airplane pilot's incorrect pitch attitude during landing on choppy water, which resulted in a nose over, and substantial damage to the fuselage.
Findings · 3
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 airplane reported that during the 4th water landing of the flight, during touchdown, "the nose pitched down aggressively" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that he and the passenger were able to perform an emergency evacuation before the airplane sank. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that boat wake developed in the landing area and the nose of the airplane "may have been a little low" during the landing. According to a police report, the passenger reported that "we misjudged the wave and the plane flipped onto its back." The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during the 4th water landing of the flight, during touchdown, "the nose pitched down aggressively" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that he and the passenger were able to perform an emergency evacuation before the airplane sank. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that boat wake developed in the landing area and the nose of the airplane "may have been a little low" during the landing. According to a police report, the passenger reported that "we misjudged the wave and the plane flipped onto its back." The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1244L
- Reported as
- Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA 4 (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 743
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2015
- Departed
- 06AR · Higden, AR
- Destination
- 06AR · Higden, AR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- 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
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 28,000 total · 80 in this make and model · 23,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KCCA, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.