WPR24FA285

The pilot’s failure to properly configure the amphibious landing gear for a water landing, which resulted in a touchdown on the water with the wheels extended, noseover, and airplane submersion.

The pilot had been storing his amphibious float-equipped airplane at a nearby airport for about 7 weeks and was returning the airplane to his lakefront home less than 3 nautical miles (nm) away, intending to moor the airplane to serve as a photo backdrop for a private event the same day. Area weather at the time of the accident included light rain but met visual flight rules (VFR) criteria. On the morning of the accident, a pilot (and guest of honor of the event) told the accident pilot not to worry about flying the airplane over, given the rainy weather, but the accident pilot expressed no concern. Witnesses who watched the airplane depart reported that its landing gear was not retracted before they lost sight of it. As the airplane made its landing approach to the lake, witnesses observed that the landing gear was in the extended position and reported that the airplane “flipped” as soon as the floats began to contact the water. They reported that the airplane’s approach otherwise appeared normal. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear was extended at the time of touchdown and that the landing gear selector handle was in the “down” position. Although foreign objects (loose tools) were found in the engine cowling and left nosewheel gear well, their locations before the accident sequence are not known, and there was no evidence of any preimpact interference with the engine operation or landing gear mechanism. (An open bin of tools was found in the cabin.) Examination of the airplane and testing of the airplane’s landing gear position advisory unit revealed no mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the evidence, the pilot left the landing gear in the extended position before the water landing.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multi-engine land and sea ratings. He held commercial pilot privileges for airplane single-engine land and sea, and private pilot privileges for rotorcraft. His pilot logbooks were not available for examination. The pilot-certificated witness (and event guest of honor) said that he had recently flown as a passenger with the accident pilot in the accident airplane and was impressed with the accident pilot’s professionalism and discipline. During that flight, he observed the accident pilot extend the airplane’s landing gear for a runway landing, and he heard a loud, clear, audio voice announcement through the headset indicating that the gear was down. He observed also that the accident pilot looked at a wing-mounted mirror to verify the landing gear position and asked the witness to use the mirror on his side to do the same. Another witness, who lived on the lake, stated that he often observed the airplane coming or going from the lake. He said that he believed the last time he had seen the airplane landing on the lake was in July 2024. An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the King County Medical Examiner. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was anoxic brain injury due to near-drowning, and the manner of death was accident. Toxicology testing was not performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory due to the length of time between the accident and the pilot’s death (5 days). On August 24, 2024, about 1010 Pacific daylight time, an amphibious float-equipped Cessna A185F airplane, N61323, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Kent, Washington. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to one witness, a private event was scheduled at a residence on Meridian Lake in Kent, Washington, and the pilot offered to reposition the airplane to the lake so it could be used as an event and photo backdrop. About 0700 on the day of the accident, an event guest of honor, who was a certificated pilot, noticed the local weather and sent a text to the accident pilot, telling him not to worry about flying the airplane to the lake. The witness stated that the accident pilot responded that “the weather was fine.” The witness later received a message from the pilot about 1000 that stated, “on my way.” Two witnesses at the airport reported that the pilot had been storing his airplane outside next to their hangar since early July 2024. They observed that, on the morning of the accident, the pilot added air to the airplane’s tires. They said that the pilot aborted the first takeoff attempt on the runway, then taxied back for a second attempt and successfully departed. They watched until the airplane flew out of sight and observed that the pilot “never pulled the gear up.” Commercially available ADS-B data showed the airplane departed from Crest Airfield (S36), Covington, Washington, and flew northwest toward Meridian Lake in Kent, Washington, about 2.5 nm away. The data showed the airplane continued northwest along the north side of the lake then made a left 180° turn to head southeast and approach the lake from the northwest. The last recorded ADS-B data point was over the northwest area of the lake. According to multiple witnesses, the airplane approached the lake from the northwest to land to the southeast. They reported that the approach appeared normal, but they could see that the landing gear was in the extended position. During touchdown on the water, the airplane abruptly nosed over and came to rest inverted, partially submerged in the lake. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted and submerged, except for the amphibious floats, in the center of the northwest side of Lake Meridian, at an elevation of 374 ft msl. Upon NTSB arrival at the accident site, the airplane had been towed by a law enforcement boat to a residential dock on the north side of the lake, where it was tethered inverted in the water The inverted floats were visible above the water’s surface with the left and right nosewheels and left and right main landing gear extended. A crescent wrench was observed resting in the left nosewheel gear well. The forward and aft cross bar float supports were observed in place. The lower engine cowling was visible and observed in place. Upon removal from the lake, all major structural components of the airplane were observed. The airframe was intact with all flight control surfaces, the engine, and the propeller attached. Both wing flaps were extended about 30°. The right wing lift strut was buckled midspan. The upper and lower engine cowlings remained attached and displayed bending and aft crushing. A tool was observed resting loosely inside the lower engine cowling. The crescent wrench observed in the left nosewheel gear well was also found to be resting loosely and displayed no evidence of pre-accident presence in the gear well. The landing gear selector handle was observed in the down position. An uncovered bin of various tools was observed in the cabin, with additional tools located throughout. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was equipped with an Aerocet Inc. GC600 Gear Advisory Unit. According to the manufacturer’s manual, the unit was designed to provide audio and visual confirmation of the nose and main landing gear positions, including a blue light for each wheel to indicate fully up, an amber light for each wheel to indicate fully down, and audio announcements that announce the gear position when the airplane’s airspeed slows through the preset trigger speed. (The announcements included, “Water landing, gear is up for water landing,” “Runway landing, gear is down for runway landing,” or “Gear unsafe, check gear.”) The unit was bench tested at the manufacture’s facility in Priest River, Idaho. The unit’s aural advisory arming speed was found to be set at 95 mph and triggered at 77 mph. The unit passed lighting and sensor checks, the “test” button accurately confirmed gear position, and the audio announcements for both water landing and runway landing triggered appropriately and met acceptable standards for volume and clarity. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure was observed that would have precluded normal operation. The two nearest weather reporting stations, located at Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT), Renton, Washington, and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA), Seattle, Washington, were 8 miles north-northwest and 8 miles northwest from the accident site, respectively. Reported weather between 0953 and 1053 included visibility between 8 to 10 miles, broken to overcast cloud ceilings between 1,800 and 2,800 ft agl, light rain, and wind from the south at 7 to 10 kts. The stations reported that the rain ended at 1051 at KRNT and 1042 at KSEA. According to one witness, the conditions at the lake at the time of the accident were “a crummy, rainy day,” and another witness reported that the lake water was “pretty calm.”