According to the pilot of the experimental, amateur-built amphibious airplane, he took off from the river behind his home in East Palatka, Florida, and proceeded to a local airport where he lowered the landing gear and performed three touch-and-go landings.
He told investigators he was preoccupied during the return flight for a water landing and “forgot” to retract the landing gear for the water landing.
At touchdown, the Aventura “flipped immediately” and came to rest inverted. The airplane’s fuselage forward of the landing gear was fractured. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.
The pilot did not report any pre-accident deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to properly configure the amphibious airplane for a water landing, which resulted in it flipping over.
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This January 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
That’s the first time I’ve heard of an accident when the forgot to RETRACT the gear for a landing. Usually it’s because a pilot forgot to extend the gear .
He must have been distracted after his last T & G as he failed to retract the landing gear, then failed to check gear up on water landing. In the long run he might be better off that his plane was destroyed.
Anyone else notice how many accidents are related to practicing?
Now that you mention it, I can see how the pilot gives full alertness to the first landing, and when one or more landings go really well, the attention to detail may drop due to let’s say possible overconfidence.
Great epitaph would read:
my most embarrassing moment was landing gear down.
JJD ATP/MEL; COM/MES