Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cherry Lake Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Groveland, California 95321
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that after takeoff in the amphibious airplane, he retracted the landing gear. The flight to the destination airport was uneventful, and upon arriving at the destination landing area (a lake), he set up for a standard approach, reduced his airspeed to 90 knots, and input 10 degrees of flaps. He said he checked that the landing gear lever was in the up position for the water landing and noted four blue lights indicating that the landing gear was retracted. The pilot stated that in "the black glass water [he] lost depth perception," and stopped the descent to head for the shoreline to set up for a "glass water landing." He further reduced his airspeed another 35 knots and identified a suitable stretch of water near the shoreline to set up for another landing. The pilot reported that about 25 feet above ground level (agl) and 60 knots, he applied the "'three P's' pitch-power-patience, procedure for a glass water landing." The pilot stated that on touchdown the airplane "skipped" to the right, and he corrected back to the left. The airplane then nosed over and sank inverted. Recovery personnel reported that the landing gear were found in the down position, and the circuit breakers for the landing gear system and the landing gear advisory system were in the OPEN positions. The landing gear handle was found in the UP position. An examination and functional check of the Wipaire Wipline 3730 amphibious floats electrical system was performed, which included a check of the airspeed actuated landing gear advisory system and aural warning alarm. Inspection of the landing gear retraction and extension system found no defects. At the conclusion of the testing, no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the landing gear and associated electrical warning system was found.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to ensure that the landing gear was retracted prior to the water landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/20/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 915 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Groveland |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95321 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 380025N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1195418W |
| Event Location Airport | Cherry Lake |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| 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 | 853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 191 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 50 |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26256 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 20 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2010 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FAT-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N818CT |
| NTSB Number | LAX08LA281 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | TU206G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U2060582 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 80 |
| Airframe Hours | 2853 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Charles D Hartwell |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Portland |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97229 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Charles D Hartwell |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Newport Beach |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92663 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | O22 |
| Departure City | Columbia |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 848 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Groveland |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 5 2010 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |