Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Karluk, Alaska 99608
Sunday, July 7, 2002 15:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated commercial pilot was landing an amphibious float-equipped airplane on a saltwater lagoon. The pilot reported that after departing from a gravel-covered airstrip, en route to the salt-water lagoon, his attention was temporarily distracted while correcting a minor flap retraction problem. The pilot thought he had placed the landing gear retraction handle in the "up" position, in preparation for a water landing at his destination, but failed to observe 4 blue lights, indicating that wheels were up for a water landing. During touchdown in the lagoon, as the keels of the floats made contact with the water, the airplane suddenly pitched forward, and nosed over. The pilot said that as he exited the sinking airplane, he noticed that the wheels were in the "down" position. Due to the saltwater emersion damage, the landing gear retract/extension system could not be tested. The director of operations for the operator reported that when he interviewed the pilot shortly after the accident, the pilot reported that after departing from the airstrip, his attention was distracted during the wing flap anomaly, and that he just forgot to retract the wheels.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent water landing on amphibious floats with the wheels extended, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's diverted attention during departure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/7/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Karluk |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99608 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 573402N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1542402W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13440 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 7 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 9:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N35606 |
| NTSB Number | ANC02LA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 206 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 420602733 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CAG Aero Ventures LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 12408 127th Ave |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lake Stevens |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98258 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ALASKA WEST AIR, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O.Box 8553 |
| Operator City | Kenai |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99635 |
| Operator Code | LCWC |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 2A3 |
| Departure City | Larson Bay |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KYK |
| Destination City | Karluk |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 11 2003 2:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |