- Date
- June 11, 2019, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Soldatna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N61339Maule MX7
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190611006649A
- Case key
- 99640
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 attempt to land on water in an airplane that was not equipped with floats.
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 was flying an airplane equipped with tundra tires. He reported that, while landing the airplane on water, he realized that he "was still on [the] wheels"; it was not equipped with floats. Water entered the flight deck, the pilot egressed, and the airplane sank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane with tundra tires reported that, he made an approach to the lake. He flew the approach, and landed the airplane in the water, "Only then did I realize that I was still on wheels." Water entered the flight deck and the airplane sank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61339
- Reported as
- Maule MX7 (180A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20013C
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 796.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Other
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 2019
- Departed
- L85 · Soldatna, AK
- Destination
- L85 · Soldatna, AK
- Airport
- L85 · Mackeys Lakes, runway S, 3,000 × 1,000 ft, water
- 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.