What happened
On May 28, 2002, a Cessna A185E Skywagon amphibious aircraft was conducting a sightseeing flight from Wyk auf Föhr to Jordsands Flak, located approximately four kilometers northeast of List on Sylt, Denmark. The flight, which included two passengers, was intended to culminate in a water landing on floats.
During the approach to the water, the aircraft was flying at a low altitude and low speed. As the aircraft touched the water at approximately 11:15 AM, it suddenly capsized. The impact caused the aircraft to flip onto its back, floating upside down in water that was roughly 18 meters deep. The pilot managed to hold onto one of the floats until divers arrived to rescue him; he sustained minor injuries and hypothermia. Tragically, the two passengers, an elderly couple, were unable to be saved and both died from drowning.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the BFU, focused on the configuration of the aircraft's landing gear and the sequence of the landing. Investigators examined the wreckage, which had been recovered by a barge and transported to the port of Hørum. Physical inspections of the aircraft revealed dents on the engine cowling and the leading edge of the right wing, as well as a shattered windshield.
Technical examinations of the landing gear mechanism were performed. Despite the aircraft being recovered in an overturned position, subsequent testing of the gear components at an aviation workshop confirmed that the retraction and extension mechanisms, as well as the visual and acoustic warning systems, were fully functional. No mechanical failures were found in the steering or the landing gear itself.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the landing gear was not retracted prior to the water landing.
- The extended wheels on the floats created significant hydrodynamic drag upon contact with the water, generating a torque around the aircraft's lateral axis that made the capsize unavoidable.
- It is highly probable that the gear was not retracted following the initial takeoff from Wyk auf Föhr.
- Although the aircraft's visual landing gear indicator was illuminated and an acoustic warning should have triggered when power was reduced, the pilot did not retract the gear.
- The investigation noted that pilots might be prone to disabling the acoustic warning if they find it intrusive during flight operations.