- Date
- November 24, 2012, 08:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Needles, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2224Piper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121124026839A
- Case key
- 85664
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, while demonstrating a water landing to the pilot receiving instruction, did not maintain proper alignment with the landing surface, which resulted in a hard 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 flight instructor was providing instruction to the airline transport pilot in a float-equipped airplane. During the flight instructor’s demonstration of a water landing, the airplane was misaligned with the intended landing path when it impacted the water’s surface. A postaccident examination revealed that the airframe was substantially damaged during the resultant hard landing.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was providing instruction to the airline transport pilot in a float-equipped airplane. During the CFI’s demonstration of a water landing, the airplane impacted the water’s surface misaligned with the intended landing path. A postaccident examination revealed that the airframe was substantially damaged during the hard landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2224
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8651
- Airframe hours
- 5,540
- Engine
- Continental O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sheble Aviation and Flight School
- Registered owner
- Sheble Aviation and Flight School
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 2012 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- Bullhead City, AZ
- Destination
- Bullhead City, AZ
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2012
- Seat
- Rear
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,256 total · 963 in this make and model · 2,154 as pilot in command · 121 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,029 total · 2 in this make and model · 2,395 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KEED, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB 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.