- Date
- February 13, 1999, 12:22 local (20:22 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N747CLMaule M-7-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990213001419A
- Case key
- 45778
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to properly position the floatplane landing gear for a water landing and failure to verify the landing gear position resulting in an inadvertent wheels down landing on water.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, landed on water with the wheels extended and nosed over. The pilot reported that he had recently received training in a land based retractable gear aircraft, which reinforced habits opposite those needed for the floatplane landing on water. He failed to retract the wheels of the floatplane after takeoff from a land airport because of distractions caused by radio problems and complex air traffic control procedures. He said he verified the wheel position before landing in the water but the amber wheels down indicator 'didn't register.'
Factual narrative
On February 13, 1999, at 1222 hours Pacific standard time, a Maule M-7-235, N747CL, was substantially damaged when the aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, landed with the wheels extended and nosed over on Lake Mead near Boulder City, Nevada. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries and the sole passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91. The aircraft departed North Las Vegas at 1145 and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot told the Safety Board that he had recently received training in a land based retractable gear aircraft, which reinforced habits opposite those needed for the floatplane landing on water. He failed to retract the wheels of the floatplane after takeoff from North Las Vegas because of distractions caused by radio problems and complex air traffic control procedures. He said he verified the wheel position before landing in the water but the amber wheels down indicator "didn't register."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N747CL
- Reported as
- Maule M-7-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4132C
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J1A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- T & F Consultants Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1998
- Departed
- VGT · North Las Vegas, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,351 total · 120 in this make and model · 4,311 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 15 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.