- Date
- May 24, 2017, 08:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Elfin Cove, AK
- Injuries
- 8 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1265UCessna 208
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170524007479A
- Case key
- 95352
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 recognize the magnitude of the swell size during landing, which resulted in a tail-low hard water landing.
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 of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during a water landing, he "misread the size of the swell." He added that, immediately after touchdown. the airplane jumped a swell, which resulted in a tail-low hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during a water landing, he "misread the size of the swell". He added that, immediately after touchdown the airplane jumped a swell, which resulted in a tail low hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1265U
- Reported as
- Cessna 208 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20800375
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 2,338.2
- Engine
- Honeywell TPE 331-12-JR, 900 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Kalinin Partners LLC., doing business as Alaska Seaplanes
- Registered owner
- Kalinin Partners LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 9, 2017
- Departed
- PAJN · Juneau, AK
- Destination
- ELV · Elfin Cove, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- ELV · Elfin Cove
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 5,142 total · 150 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.