Cessna A185 accident near Miami, Florida, July 1, 2018
On July 1, 2018 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna A185, registered N14ED, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Miami, Florida (Miami airport). It was a positioning 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 retract the wheels of the amphibious airplane on takeoff, which resulted in a nose-over when the airplane landed on water with the wheels extended. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use appropriate checklists.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2018 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 F, built 1972 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N14ED · no longer on the register · serial 18502107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he inadvertently failed to retract the wheels of the amphibious airplane after takeoff from a hard surface runway. Upon arrival at his destination, he did not use the Before Landing checklist, and when the airplane touched down on the water with the wheels extended, it nosed over. The amphibious airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut, the empennage, the right wing aileron, the rudder, and the elevator. The pilot asserted that the accident was pilot error and that the accident could have been prevented if he had he used the checklist. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the amphibious airplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 756.2 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 128.6 in the last 90 days; 36.2 in the last 30 days; 289.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 169.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 190 hours total
- Operator: Tropic Ocean Airways LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: X44 Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMIA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 14, 2018. 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 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.