December 18, Thonotosassa, Fla. / Cessna Stationair

At about 1645 eastern time, a Cessna U206G on floats crashed while attempting to land on Lake Thonotosassa. The pilot and passenger were killed. The flight originated at Vandenberg Airport, Tampa, Fla., about 10 minutes prior to the accident. A witness who had seen the accident airplane over the lake many times before noticed that this time the landing gear was down. He said that when the airplane made contact with the water, it immediately nose-dived and flipped straight over. The airplane then sank inverted to the level of the pontoons, with the landing gear remaining extended above the pontoons....

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Cessna U206G floatplane crashed during a landing attempt on Lake Thonotosassa, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and passenger.
  • The accident occurred because the floatplane attempted to land with its landing gear extended, causing it to nose-dive and flip upon water contact.
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At about 1645 eastern time, a Cessna U206G on floats crashed while attempting to land on Lake Thonotosassa. The pilot and passenger were killed. The flight originated at Vandenberg Airport, Tampa, Fla., about 10 minutes prior to the accident. A witness who had seen the accident airplane over the lake many times before noticed that this time the landing gear was down. He said that when the airplane made contact with the water, it immediately nose-dived and flipped straight over. The airplane then sank inverted to the level of the pontoons, with the landing gear remaining extended above the pontoons.

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