- Date
- May 28, 2019, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hollister, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N501JDe Havilland DHC 2
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190528005359A
- Case key
- 98901
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 amphibious float's landing gear wheels before landing on the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use the after takeoff and before landing checklists.
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 in the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that he intended to perform a water landing. On the downwind leg of the approach, he performed his prelanding checks from memory, and he confirmed that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. However, he added that he "should have looked for blue lights." The pilot landed on the water with the landing gear wheels extended, and the airplane pitched forward and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the empennage, and the windscreen. The pilot asserted that he "should have used a checklist once airborne. Both the after takeoff and before landing checks would have saved me from this event." 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 in the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that his intent was to perform a water landing. On the downwind leg of the approach, he performed his prelanding checks from memory and he confirmed that the three green landing gear safe lights were illuminated. However, "I should have looked for blue lights." The pilot landed on the water with the landing gear wheels extended and the airplane pitched forward and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the empennage, and the windscreen. The pilot asserted that, "I should have used a checklist once airborne. Both the after takeoff and before landing checks would have saved me from this event." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N501J
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC 2 (I)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1451
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 4,690
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985 AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Diesel Acquisitions Llc
- Registered owner
- Diesel Acquisitions Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 19, 2018
- Departed
- CVH · Hollister, CA
- Destination
- CVH · Hollister, CA
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 15,560 total · 111 in this make and model · 11,326 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- CVH, 17 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.