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Atlas / NTSB / NYC93LA004

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event NYC93LA004

1992-10-03 FRANKLIN, New Hampshire, United States Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N8549Z

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BOEING 737-800

Year of manufacture

2017

TCDS

A16WE · BOEING CO

Engine

CFM INTL CFM56-7B27E/F

Seats / Engines

175 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

20171015

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S ABB9DF

Registrant of record

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S MISJUDGED TOUCHDOWN ON THE WATER WHICH RESULTED IN A PORPOISED LANDING. ALSO CAUSAL TO THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM THE PORPOISE, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH THE WATER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE; THE GLOSSY WATER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN WATER LANDINGS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT HAD JUST RECEIVED HIS SEAPLANE RATING AND WAS MAKING HIS FIRST SOLO WATER LANDING. THE PASSENGER SAID THE WATER WAS 'COMPLETELY GLOSSY.' DURING THE TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO PORPOISE AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE WATER NOSE FIRST AND NOSED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_NYC93LA004.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.