Probable cause
The pilot's failure to retract the amphibious airplane's land-wheels prior to landing on a lake, which resulted in a nose over.
NTSB analysis
The pilot of an amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that he departed from an airport with a paved runway en-route to his destination airport, about 21 nautical miles away, also with a paved runway. While en-route he decided to do a touch and go on a lake about 5 nautical miles from the destination airport. The pilot further reported that during the landing touch down, the airplane immediately nosed over. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the position of the landing gear with the landing gear mirrors before the landing and the landing gear were down for the water landing.
The firewall sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that he was unsure if there were any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA16CA375 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 26, 2016
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Hayden Lake, Idaho
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna A185
- N-number
- N185TG
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1978
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.