- Date
- June 3, 2011, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Heron, MT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N316BRRusk Smith Super Cub
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110603009799A
- Case key
- 79298
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 floatplane's collision with a submerged object during a water landing.
Findings · 2
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 reported that from his airborne perspective, the river looked suitable for landing his float plane. He did not observe any sand bar or obstacles in the water. The pilot stated that his descent into the water was normal, and he landed with the current. Upon touchdown, the airplane which was only equipped with floats, immediately nosed over. It subsequently sank. The pilot said the front of the right float was ripped off in the landing, and the front windscreen broke open from the airframe. He opined that the floatplane impacted a submerged object. The pilot inflated his emergency flotation device and swam to shore.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that from his airborne perspective, the river looked suitable for landing his float plane. He did not observe any sand bar or obstacles in the water. The pilot stated that his descent into the water was normal, and he landed with the current. Upon touchdown the airplane, which was only equipped with floats, immediately nosed over and sank. The pilot said the front of the right float was ripped off in the landing. The pilot inflated his emergency flotation device and swam to shore.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N316BR
- Reported as
- Rusk Smith Super Cub
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 119
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 31, 2010 · 119 hours before
- Departed
- None · Seeley Lake, MT
- Destination
- None · Spokane, WA
- Airport
- None · Cabinet Gorge Reservoir, runway 29, 12,000 × 1,500 ft, water
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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 19,364 total · 119 in this make and model · 266 in the last 90 days · 98 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 567 KB 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.