19980907034829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr SEAREY · Lake Chatuge, GA · September 7, 1998

Date: September 7, 1998
Place: Lake Chatuge, GA
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N39CS
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL98LA123
Reported as: Amtr Searey
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX914
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 965 total110 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N39CSRegistration cancelled Sep 6, 2019 · Vertical Concepts SEAREYS/N 001 · Built 1997 Airframe modelVertical Concepts SEAREY Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot stated that on landing at approximately 50 mph he noticed water at his feet and aircraft flipped over inverted into the water which was approximately 20 feet deep. Pilot and passenger exited aircraft and were picked up be boaters. The aircraft stayed afloat upside down. The investigation revealed voids in the fiberglass material which indicated it was laid up dry. The pilot stated that other owners had found this in there aircraft and it had been replaced by the factory. It appears that due to the dry lay up of the fiberglass material that it delaminated thereby causing it to weaken and fracture.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT ON LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH HE NOTICED WATER AT HIS FEET AND AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER INVERTED INTO THE WATER WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET DEEP. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AIRCRAFT AND WERE PICKED UP BE BOATERS. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED AFLOAT UPSIDE DOWN. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED VOIDS IN THE FIBERGLASS MATERIAL WHICH INDICATED IT WAS LAID UP DRY. THE PILOT STATED THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD FOUND THIS IN THERE AIRCRAFT AND IT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE FACTORY. IT APPEARS THAT DUE TO THE DRY LAY UP OF THE FIBERGLASS MATERIAL THAT IT DELAMINATED THEREBY CAUSING IT TO WEAKEN AND FRACTURE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL98LA123Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHiawassee, GAThe delamination of the hull that resulted in a nose over during landing.Sep 7, 1998 · Substantial damage