- Date
- September 17, 2016, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeport, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N111WGrumman G44
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160917017969A
- Case key
- 94079
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 · 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 an amphibious airplane reported that he departed a hard surfaced runway and flew to a lake about 3 nautical miles away. He further reported that after takeoff he failed to retract the landing gear and during the touchdown on the lake, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he did not use a checklist during the flight. The fuselage and vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of an amphibious airplane reported that he departed a hard surfaced runway and flew to a lake about 3 nautical miles away. He further reported that after takeoff he failed to retract the landing gear and during the touchdown on the lake, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he did not use a checklist during the flight. The fuselage and vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N111W
- Reported as
- Grumman G44 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1420
- Built
- 1945
- Airframe hours
- 10,534
- Engines
- Lycoming GO-480-G1D6, 295 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming GO-480-G1D6, 295 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 19, 2015
- Departed
- 1O2 · Lakeport, CA
- Destination
- NONE · Lakeport, CA
- Airport
- 1O2 · Lampson Field
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 5, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,350 total · 820 in this make and model · 2,350 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KUKI, 16 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.
Other investigations on N111W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.