Piper PA-18-150 N4070Z

Summary

On 1 November 2009 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N4070Z, operated by Richard Kluver, was involved in an accident near Three Lakes, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 November 2009 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Three Lakes, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Three Lakes Marina (40G)

Coordinates

45.7900, -89.1208

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N4070Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Richard Kluver

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eagle River → Three Lakes

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10CA038

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper flare and touchdown during the water landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing the float equipped airplane on a lake. The winds were light and the lake had about 3 inch ripples on the water. He reported that the touchdown appeared normal, but a few seconds later the right wing went up and the left wing dipped in the water. The left wing was bent upward and sustained substantial damage. A witness reported that he observed the airplane flying slow over the water in a left bank when the airplane “dropped into the lake” with the left wing hitting the water. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.