On 24 Nov 2012, a PIPER PA18 A150 operated by Sheble Aviation and Flight School was involved in an aviation accident near Needles, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor failed to maintain proper alignment with the landing surface during a demonstration water landing, leading to a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A Piper PA18 sustained substantial damage during a demonstration water landing near Needles, California.
What happened
On November 24, 2012, a certified flight instructor was conducting training for an airline transport pilot in a float-equipped Piper PA18, registration N2224. During the flight, the instructor performed a demonstration of a water landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft impacted the water's surface while misaligned with the intended landing path.
The impact resulted in a hard landing that caused substantial damage to the airframe. There were no injuries resulting from the accident. Weather conditions at the time were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 360 degrees at 4 knots.
Probable cause
The flight instructor failed to maintain proper alignment with the landing surface during a demonstration water landing, leading to a hard landing.
Contributing factors
Instructor/check pilotHeading/course — Not attained/maintained