Amateur-built AVENTURA accident near East Palatka, Florida, January 14, 2020
On January 14, 2020 at about 11:26 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built AVENTURA, registered N366RC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near East Palatka, Florida. 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 failure to properly configure the amphibious airplane for a water landing, which resulted in it flipping over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2020 · about 11:26 pm local time
- Place
- East Palatka, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVENTURA II, built 2005
- Registration
- N366RC · no longer on the register · serial AA2A0125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he took off from a river behind his home and proceeded to a local airport where he lowered the landing gear and performed three touch-and-go landings. The pilot said he was preoccupied during the return flight to the river for a water landing and "forgot" to retract the landing gear for the pontoon-hull landing. At touchdown, the airplane immediately flipped over and came to rest inverted. The fuselage forward of the landing gear sustained substantial damage.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 388 hours in all; 40.4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 344.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 26, 2019; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,232 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 344 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: East Palatka FL
- Destination: East Palatka FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Observation at 11:35 pm from 28J
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 7, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Memo for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.