Cessna 208 accident near Southampton, New York, November 15, 2005
On November 15, 2005 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Cessna 208, registered N117SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Southampton, New York. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper flare and his inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2005 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Southampton, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N117SA · registry record · serial 20800117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated airline transport pilot was receiving instruction for a seaplane rating. He made three water landings in a float-equipped seaplane, and after the third landing, the flight instructor told him to climb to and maintain 100 feet. The pilot climbed the airplane to the assigned altitude, and made a left turn to a downwind leg at 80-85 knots. Once on the downwind leg, the instructor simulated an engine failure by pulling the power lever back to idle, and the pilot receiving instruction began a left turn to land into the wind. The instructor then told him to turn to the right, and subsequently joined him on the controls for the right turn. Neither pilot added power, and the airplane "landed hard," in a descending right turn, at an estimated 45-90 degrees from the wind line. Upon landing, the left float separated from the airplane, and the airplane subsequently sank. No mechanical anomalies were noted.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,940 hours in all; 1,878 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Stratford CT at 9:45 am
- Destination: NONE Peconic Bay NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.