Cessna A185 accident near Anoka, Minnesota, April 30, 2020
On April 30, 2020 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna A185, registered N1669M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Anoka, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent extension of the landing gear and his subsequent water landing with the wheels extended.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2020 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anoka, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 E, built 1971 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N1669M · registry record · serial 18501861
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was conducting a local flight to gain familiarity with the amphibious airplane's recently installed avionics. During a runway change at his home (land) airport, the pilot elected to conduct a water landing to a lake about 12 miles north, during which he inadvertently extended the landing gear on approach and landed on the water with the wheels extended. The airplane immediately nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water, substantially damaging both wings. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Unintentional use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 1,823 hours in all; 1,238 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,781 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,120 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO0520D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: C Y Transport Llc
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Minneapolis MN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ANE Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from KANE, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.