Piper PA-18-150 N1982P

Summary

On 11 April 2009 at about 21:45 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N1982P was involved in an accident near Tampa, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2009 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Tampa, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Peter O'Knight Airport (TPF)

Coordinates

27.9719, -82.5250

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N1982P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Tampa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA245

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to confirm that the landing gear was retracted prior to the attempted water landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departing on the cross-country flight, the pilot received a jump-start for his amphibious airplane due to a dead battery. The pilot then immediately taxied to the runway and departed. Once airborne, he moved the landing gear handle to the "Up" position, but did not confirm that the gear had successfully retracted. He climbed to 300 feet above mean sea level (msl) before turning and descending over the water to 120 feet msl, with the intention of making a low pass in front of his waterfront home. The airplane encountered "a gust of wind," and lost approximately 40 feet of altitude. The pilot decided to abort the low pass, and advanced the throttle to full power. He was not satisfied with the response of the engine and decided to make an emergency landing on the water. Upon touchdown, the airplane flipped over, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot escaped underwater and received minor injuries. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was in the extended position, and the gear handle was in the "Up" position. All electrical wiring was found to be intact, and no other mechanical issues were found. A certificated aircraft mechanic, familiar with the accident airplane, stated that when the landing gear cycle was initiated, the motor momentarily drew a very high current. He stated that if the battery was dead, or contained a low charge, the generator would "probably not" be able to handle the high current demand, and would not permit the landing gear to cycle. The pilot did not notice any other mechanical or electrical problems with the airplane during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.