# NTSB LAX00LA115: Cessna 185, N4021Y, Incline Village, NV, March 7, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 7, 2000, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Incline Village, NV - Coordinates: 39.240447, -119.9207 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2404&lon=-119.9207&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report July 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 48727 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX00LA115 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/48727/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA115 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent landing on water with the wheels of the amphibious float plane extended. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Wheels down landing in water, landing - flare/touchdown - wheels down landing in water - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - Nose over, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis The aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, flipped inverted during landing on water. The pilot reported that it was his intent to remain in the traffic pattern after takeoff from the land airport and make one landing there. While on downwind, however, with the wheels extended for a terrain landing, he noticed the weather deteriorating from the west and decided to proceed directly to the nearby lake for his planned passenger pickup there. During the approach for the water landing, he forgot that the wheels were extended and the aircraft flipped inverted when it touched down on the water. ## Factual narrative On March 7, 2000, at 1000 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 185, N4021Y, was substantially damaged when the aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, flipped inverted during landing on water at Lake Tahoe, near Incline Village, Nevada. The airline transport certificated pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft, operated by the owner as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91, departed from Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, California, about 0940. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A newspaper reporter, who responded to the scene near Ski Beach about 1030, reported that the aircraft had been pulled close to shore when she arrived but all she could see was the bottom of the floats with the wheels extended. A witness told the reporter that he had seen the floatplane approach and land, and, that just as it touched the water, the nose "buckled under." The pilot reported that it was his intent to remain in the traffic pattern after takeoff at Truckee and make one landing there. While on downwind, however, with the wheels extended for a terrain landing, he noticed the weather deteriorating from the west and decided to proceed directly to the lake for his planned passenger pickup there. During the approach for the water landing, he forgot that the wheels were extended and the aircraft flipped inverted when he touched down on the water. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4021Y](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4021Y-2003-02-06), registration cancelled 2003-02-06, S/N 1850221, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185 - Registry model: [Cessna 185](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-185) (registry code 2072802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 185-0221 - Airframe hours: 2788 - Engines: Continental IO-520-D 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Glen Bruno Lubbe - Registered owner: Lubbe Industries Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 7, 1999, 100 hours before - Departed: TRK, TRUCKEE, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; flight instructor, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 6,500 total, 200 in this make and model, 4,900 as pilot in command, 180 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 10 knots - Visibility: 30 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 23,000 ft broken - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: TVL, 21 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000307008749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000307008749A), Mar 7, 2000: Cessna 185, Incline Village, NV, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft is a Cessna 185 mounted on edo floats. Incorporated is a set of hydraulic actuated retracting wheel/landing gear assemblies. The pilot departed… ## Other investigations on N4021Y (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB UNK78X0121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/UNK78X0121), May 25, 1978: Cessna 185 (N4021Y), Keezhik Lk, Canada, destroyed From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.