No fatalities

3 May 2012: Murphy Aircraft Rebel — Hayden Lake, ID

Hayden Lake, ID, United States

On 3 May 2012, a Murphy Aircraft Rebel was involved in an aviation accident near Hayden Lake, ID. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilots’ failure to position the landing gear for landing on the water, which resulted in a nose-over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a glassy water landing, a single-engine amphibian airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Checklists were not used; postaccident examination revealed landing gear discrepancy.

Accident Details

A single-engine amphibian airplane nosed over during a glassy water landing and came to rest inverted. The accident occurred while the aircraft was executing a landing on a water surface characterized by glassy conditions. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, firewall, and door frames as a result of the landing sequence.

Pilot Statements

The certified flight instructor reported that prior to the landing, neither the regular airplane checklist nor his personal GUMPS checklist had been utilized. The pilot receiving instruction, who was also the owner of the airplane, added that they were in a rush and forgot to use the checklist. Both pilots acknowledged the omission of checklist use before the landing.

Postaccident Examination

A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector revealed that the left landing gear was extended and the right landing gear was partially retracted. The discrepancy in landing gear configuration was documented during the inspection. The aircraft's fuselage, firewall, and door frames were noted to have substantial damage.

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilotIncorrect use/operationPilot