Amateur-built SEAREY accident near Sacramento, California, January 2, 2019
On January 2, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built SEAREY, registered N24YD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sacramento, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly configure the landing gear before performing a water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEAREY No Series, built 2007
- Registration
- N24YD · registry record · serial 1DK427C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amphibious experimental airplane reported that, after takeoff from a runway, he became distracted and forgot to retract the landing gear. He then flew the airplane to a river; during the approach for landing, he announced that the gear was retracted but did not visually confirm it, and the airplane subsequently landed in the river with the landing gear extended. After touchdown, the airplane immediately nosed down and partially sank.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 770 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 914 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APC Napa CA at 6:50 pm
- Destination: Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SMF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N24YD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR19LA054.