Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sonora, California 95370
Friday, April 18, 2008 12:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A flight instructor and a commercial pilot receiving instruction departed from a pond (at an elevation of approximately 1,100 feet) in the float-equipped airplane. A camera recovered from the wreckage disclosed images indicating that the flight went to a mountain lake where a touch-and-go landing was made. The images indicated that the airplane accomplished this landing with an estimated 10-knot, gusting to 20-knot, headwind. After liftoff from the water, the airplane reversed course toward rising mountainous terrain. The wreckage was located at 5,200-feet, and the terrain in the immediate area of the accident site was level. The airplane came to rest on its nose, with the wreckage evididence indicating a stall/loss of control and vertical descent to the ground. The empennage remained nearly vertical to the terrain and bent down slightly. Both floats were also vertical to the terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane found no evidence of any preimpact mechanical discrepancies with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation. The density altitude at the time was estimated as 6,907 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and loss of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident were rising mountainous terrain and a high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/18/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1250 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sonora |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95370 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 380323N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1195403W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MOD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 95 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25150 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 18 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2009 4:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fresno, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N60760 |
| NTSB Number | LAX08FA115 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 150J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15070555 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 31 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 7879 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SEAPLANE VENTURES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3600 CAROL KENNEDY DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN ANDREAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95249-9521 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SEAPLANE VENTURES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3600 CAROL KENNEDY DR |
| Operator City | SAN ANDREAS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95249-9521 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PRIV |
| Departure City | San Andreas |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1212 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PRIV |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2009 4:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |