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19980915024569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr SEAREY · Chippewa Lake, OH · September 15, 1998

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Date
September 15, 1998 · 18:30 local
Place
Chippewa Lake, OH
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N219LJ
Reported as
Amtr Searey
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX912
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
160 total30 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N219LJRegistration cancelled Aug 13, 2004 · Ankenbruck Wayne R SEAREYS/N 1DK014 · Built 1994Airframe modelAnkenbruck Wayne R SEAREYEngine 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.

(.19)On September 14, 1998, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Searey, N219LJ, was substantially damaged during a water landing on lake Chippewa, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight between wadsworth municipal airport (3G3), Ohio, and lake Chippewa. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, the airplane landed on the lake, and encountered a wake from a motor boat. The pilot increased power, and the airplane bounced up into the air about 3 feet. It came down into a second wake, the nose dug into the water and broke off, and the airplane flipped over. (.4) the airplane landed on a smooth lake, and encountered a wake from the only boat that was operating at the time. The pilot increased power to get up 'on step,' and when the airplane hit the wake, it bounced up into the air about 3 feet. It came down into a second wake, the nose dug into the water and broke off, and the airplane flipped over. The pilot's seaplane transition training consisted of a checkout from his partner, and 8 to 10 water landings. He had 34 water landings at the time of the accident. Neither he nor his partner had a 'single-engine sea' airplane class rating. However, 14 CFR part 61.31(k)(2) stated that rating limitations did not apply, even when carrying passengers, to '(iii) the holder of a pilot certificate when operating an aircraft under the authority of an experimental or provisional aircraft type certificate.' The pilot and his partner had planned on attending formal training during the upcoming winter. (-23) a/c departed 3G3 with pilot and one pax., and attempted a water landing on Chippewa Lake. The pilot reported increasing the throttle when a wake from a boat came towards the a/c on landing. The a/c then bounced up app rox 3' and back down into a 2nd wake, which caused the a/c to slowly flip over onto its back, breaking the nose section of the a/c. the occupants were able to escape the a/c, and were immediately picked up by a passing private boat.

As the FAA filed it

(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 1830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT SEAREY, N219LJ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A WATER LANDING ON LAKE CHIPPEWA, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT BETWEEN WADSWORTH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (3G3), OHIO, AND LAKE CHIPPEWA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON THE LAKE, AND ENCOUNTERED A WAKE FROM A MOTOR BOAT. THE PILOT INCREASED POWER, AND THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED UP INTO THE AIR ABOUT 3 FEET. IT CAME DOWN INTO A SECOND WAKE, THE NOSE DUG INTO THE WATER AND BROKE OFF, AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER. (.4) THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON A SMOOTH LAKE, AND ENCOUNTERED A WAKE FROM THE ONLY BOAT THAT WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME. THE PILOT INCREASED POWER TO GET UP 'ON STEP,' AND WHEN THE AIRPLANE HIT THE WAKE, IT BOUNCED UP INTO THE AIR ABOUT 3 FEET. IT CAME DOWN INTO A SECOND WAKE, THE NOSE DUG INTO THE WATER AND BROKE OFF, AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT'S SEAPLANE TRANSITION TRAINING CONSISTED OF A CHECKOUT FROM HIS PARTNER, AND 8 TO 10 WATER LANDINGS. HE HAD 34 WATER LANDINGS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NEITHER HE NOR HIS PARTNER HAD A 'SINGLE-ENGINE SEA' AIRPLANE CLASS RATING. HOWEVER, 14 CFR PART 61.31(K)(2) STATED THAT RATING LIMITATIONS DID NOT APPLY, EVEN WHEN CARRYING PASSENGERS, TO '(III) THE HOLDER OF A PILOT CERTIFICATE WHEN OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF AN EXPERIMENTAL OR PROVISIONAL AIRCRAFT TYPE CERTIFICATE.' THE PILOT AND HIS PARTNER HAD PLANNED ON ATTENDING FORMAL TRAINING DURING THE UPCOMING WINTER. (-23) A/C DEPARTED 3G3 WITH PILOT AND ONE PAX., AND ATTEMPTED A WATER LANDING ON CHIPPEWA LAKE. THE PILOT REPORTED INCREASING THE THROTTLE WHEN A WAKE FROM A BOAT CAME TOWARDS THE A/C ON LANDING. THE A/C THEN BOUNCED UP APP ROX 3' AND BACK DOWN INTO A 2ND WAKE, WHICH CAUSED THE A/C TO SLOWLY FLIP OVER ONTO ITS BACK, BREAKING THE NOSE SECTION OF THE A/C. THE OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE A/C, AND WERE IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP BY A PASSING PRIVATE BOAT.