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Atlas / NTSB / CEN11LA632

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN11LA632

2011-09-08 Long Lake, Wisconsin, United States Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N902CC

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER/CUB CRAFTERS PA-18-150

Engine

LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19990412

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AC76CF

Registrant of record

VAN FLVE KLUB INC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to complete the prelanding checklist, which resulted in the landing gear wheels not being retracted for the water landing.

Factual narrative

On September 8, 2011, about 1015 central daylight time, a float-equipped Piper/Cub Crafters, PA-18-150, N902CC, nosed over during a touch and go landing on Long Lake near Centuria, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The airplane was registered to Matts Cats LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the flight destined to a lake near Minong, Wisconsin. The pilot stated that while en route to Minong, Wisconsin, he saw Long Lake and wanted to perform a touch and go landing on it before continuing to his final destination. He stated that he failed to go through the prelanding checklist and retract the landing gear wheels on the floats prior to the touch and go. He said that the landing gear warning annunciated about the time the wheels contacted the lake. As the wheels contacted the lake, the airplane flipped over. The pilot stated that he was performing a touch-and-go landing on a lake in his float-equipped airplane. He said that the landing gear wheels on the floats were extended, so upon touchdown the wheels contacted the water and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that he did not complete the prelanding checklist to ensure that the landing gear wheels were retracted. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-(general)-Incorrect use/operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_CEN11LA632.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.