# NTSB SEA06FA168: Aviat A-1B, N94HY, Owyhee, OR, August 27, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report - Date: August 27, 2006, 13:26 local (20:26 UTC) - Place: Owyhee, OR - Coordinates: 45.42472, -117.345558 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.4247&lon=-117.3456&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO, NTSB - AS-60, NTSB - RE-10 - NTSB case key (mKey): 64411 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA06FA168 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64411/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64411 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA06FA168 ## Probable cause The pilot inadvertently landing with the parking brake engaged, which resulted in a nose over. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose over, landing - parking brakes - inadvertent use, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot completed 3-4 water ski runs (a maneuver accomplished by setting the aircraft's parking brake, touching down on the water, and skiing on the main landing gear tires) and was transitioning to the airport for a full-stop landing. The pilot reported that when the airplane touched down he felt the right main tire drag and initially attributed it to the soft runway condition; however, the airplane's tail "came up" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot later reported that he failed to release the parking brake after completing the maneuvers and inadvertently landed with the brake set. The airplane was equipped with an AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) system, which did not inflate/deploy during the accident sequence. Post accident examination and testing of the system revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the system from functioning properly; and it is believed that the airplane did not sustain sufficient g-forces during the accident sequence to activate the system. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 27, 2006, about 1326 Pacific daylight time, an Aviat Aircraft, Inc, Husky A-1B, N94HY, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Owyhee State Reservoir Airport (28U), Owyhee, Oregon. The airplane was being operated as a cross-country flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot/registered owner of the airplane was the sole occupant and received minor injuries during the accident sequence. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated at Ontario, Oregon, approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. In a written report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board, IIC, on September 6, the pilot stated he had completed 3-4 water ski runs (a maneuver accomplished by setting the aircraft's parking brake, touching down on the water, and skiing on the main landing gear tires) on the reservoir and was transitioning to the airport for a full-stop landing. The pilot stated that after he completed the maneuvers, he climbed to 1,000 feet AGL and entered a left downwind for the intended runway. He stated that when the airplane touched down (wheel landing approximately 43 mph) he felt the right main tire drag and attributed it to the soft runway condition. He reported that when the left main tire touched down, the airplane's tail "came up" and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest (inverted) on the dirt/sod runway. In the written report, the pilot stated the airplane's parking brake was engaged prior to the "water ski" maneuver; however, he failed to release it after completing the maneuver and inadvertently landed with the brake set. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane, a 2005 model, was equipped with an AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) system. Investigators from the NTSB's Northwest Regional Office and Survival Factors Division (AS-60) examined the AAIR system subsequent to the recovery of the airplane to a hangar facility in Boise, Idaho. The examination reveled the following findings: Both forward and aft pilot seats were intact and undamaged. The forward and aft five-point airbag belt assemblies (to include the imbedded airbags) buckle assembly, inflator assembly, squib connectors and associated lines and Electronic Module Assembly (EMA) were intact and no damage was noted. It was noted that the airbags did not deploy during the accident sequence. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION An AmSafe designed System Diagnostic Tool (SDT) was used to check the functional status of the AAIR. The SDT is a portable, hand-held device designed for use by maintenance personnel to test functionality and integrity of the AAIR system. Specifically, the SDT tests the electronic module's battery, sensor and inflator systems. The system check, which was conducted by the IIC, was completed and no system anomalies were noted. Additional testing and evaluation of the EMA was completed at AmSafe's manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona, under the supervision of a representative from the FAA's Manufacturing Inspection District Office. The circuitry, trigger timing and overall condition of the unit was evaluated, and according to the post examination report "no anomalies were found and the unit performed as designed." The aircraft and associated components were released to a representative of the owner on December 8, 2006. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N94HY](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N94HY), registered now, S/N 2297, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aviat A-1B - Registry model: [Aviat A-1B](https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-a-1b) (registry code 2210406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (registry code 41575, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2297 - Airframe hours: 217 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John M. Morgan - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2006, 151 hours before - Departed: ONO, ONTARIO, OR - Destination: 28U, Owyhee, OR - Airport: 28U, Owyhee Reservoir State, runway 31, 1,840 × 30 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 1, 2005; seat: front; flight hours: 3,072 total, 177 in this make and model, 3,020 as pilot in command, 48 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## 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 20060827018519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060827018519A), Aug 27, 2006: Aviat A1B, Owyhee, OR, Substantial damage. (-23) The aircraft flipped over on landing. The pilot stated that he had set the parking brake during the flight and had forgotten to release it prior to… ## Docket (11 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2007, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64411. 3.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 452 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273600&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Manufacture's Report (item 2, .PDF, 483 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273601&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Manufacture%27s%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 3, .PDF, 57 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273602&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.PDF - Image 1. Accident airplane. (item 4, .PDF, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273603&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%201.%20%20Accident%20airplane.-Master.PDF - Image 2. Restraint harnesses (forward and aft). (item 5, .PDF, 374 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273604&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%202.%20%20Restraint%20harnesses%20(forward%20and%20aft).-Master.PDF - Image 3. Inflator assembly. (item 6, .PDF, 359 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273605&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%203.%20%20Inflator%20assembly.-Master.PDF - Image 4. Diagnostic tool. (item 7, .PDF, 429 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273606&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%204.%20%20Diagnostic%20tool.-Master.PDF - Image 5. Diagnostic tool. (item 8, .PDF, 328 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273607&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%205.%20%20Diagnostic%20tool.-Master.PDF - Image 6. Instrument panel. (item 9, .PDF, 406 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40273608&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Image%206.%20%20Instrument%20panel.-Master.PDF - Survival Factors Factual in Support of GA Airbag Safety Study (item 10, .PDF, 171 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329719&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Survival%20Factors%20Factual%20in%20Support%20of%20GA%20Airbag%20Safety%20Study-Master.PDF - Reference to General Aviation Airbag Study (item 11, .PDF, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40341662&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reference%20to%20General%20Aviation%20Airbag%20Study-Master.PDF 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.