- Date
- November 15, 2005, 10:05 local (15:05 UTC)
- Place
- Southampton, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N117SACessna 208
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 62822
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 flight instructor's improper flare and his inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 certificated airline transport pilot was receiving instruction for a seaplane rating. He made three water landings in a float-equipped seaplane, and after the third landing, the flight instructor told him to climb to and maintain 100 feet. The pilot climbed the airplane to the assigned altitude, and made a left turn to a downwind leg at 80-85 knots. Once on the downwind leg, the instructor simulated an engine failure by pulling the power lever back to idle, and the pilot receiving instruction began a left turn to land into the wind. The instructor then told him to turn to the right, and subsequently joined him on the controls for the right turn. Neither pilot added power, and the airplane "landed hard," in a descending right turn, at an estimated 45-90 degrees from the wind line. Upon landing, the left float separated from the airplane, and the airplane subsequently sank. No mechanical anomalies were noted.
Factual narrative
The certificated airline transport pilot was receiving instruction for a seaplane rating. He made three water landings in a float-equipped seaplane, and after the third landing, the flight instructor told him to climb to and maintain 100 feet. The pilot climbed the airplane to the assigned altitude, and made a left turn to a downwind leg at 80-85 knots. Once on the downwind leg, the instructor simulated an engine failure by pulling the power lever back to idle, and the pilot receiving instruction began a left turn to land into the wind. The instructor then told him to turn to the right, and subsequently joined him on the controls for the right turn. Neither pilot added power, and the airplane "landed hard," in a descending right turn, at an estimated 45-90 degrees from the wind line. Upon landing, the left float separated from the airplane, and the airplane subsequently sank. No mechanical anomalies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N117SA
- Reported as
- Cessna 208
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20800117
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-114A, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Shorline Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BDR · Stratford, CT
- Destination
- NONE · Peconic Bay, NY
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 6,940 total · 1,878 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day