What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Experimental float plane crashed while landing on Shelby Bay, the pilot sustained serious injuries, the passenger suffered fatal injuries, the acft has substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) the nose and forward section of the keel were shattered on impact. The windshield was never recovered. The instrument panel was detached, hanging only by the wire bundle. The aircraft was submerged, inverted in approx. 9 feet of salt water for 7 hours. Pieces of the fiberglass keel and nose were found to have separated at along the lay-up layers. It appeared that there was insufficient resin used during assembly. This was not a casual factor in the accident, but may have affected the survivability. Another survivability factor was that the shoulder harness were both fastened against the seat backs, and obviously not in use at the time of the accident. Review of the aircraft maintenance records indicated that the aircraft was certificated on 1/19/98 and was due a condition inspection by 1/31/99. The condition inspection had not been accomplished. The aircraft was not airworthy, with respect to the inspection requirements, at the time of the accident. The last regu latory check ride in the pilot's log book was 11/20/95. privacy data omitted (.4) While returning from a local flight, the pilot established the airplane on a straight-in-approach for a water landing. Approximately 300 feet MSL and 75 mph, the pilot configured the airplane with 20 degrees of flaps, and reset the elevator trim. After the airplane cleared a tree-covered hill to the northeast, the pilot retarded the throttle to idle. The airplane contacted the water, dragged its tail, and became airborne. The airplane then contacted the water for a second time in a nose-low attitude, and nosed over. After the accident, flight control continuity was verified, and the engine was run on the airframe, at takeoff power, for 5 minutes. The pilot did not have a single engine sea rating. Federal aviation regulations exempt pilots of experimental aircraft from needing a rating in the category of aircraft they are operating.
As the FAA filed it
EXPERIMENTAL FLOAT PLANE CRASHED WHILE LANDING ON SHELBY BAY, THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, THE PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) THE NOSE AND FORWARD SECTION OF THE KEEL WERE SHATTERED ON IMPACT. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NEVER RECOVERED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DETACHED, HANGING ONLY BY THE WIRE BUNDLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBMERGED, INVERTED IN APPROX. 9 FEET OF SALT WATER FOR 7 HOURS. PIECES OF THE FIBERGLASS KEEL AND NOSE WERE FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED AT ALONG THE LAY-UP LAYERS. IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RESIN USED DURING ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS NOT A CASUAL FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT, BUT MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE SURVIVABILITY. ANOTHER SURVIVABILITY FACTOR WAS THAT THE SHOULDER HARNESS WERE BOTH FASTENED AGAINST THE SEAT BACKS, AND OBVIOUSLY NOT IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CERTIFICATED ON 1/19/98 AND WAS DUE A CONDITION INSPECTION BY 1/31/99. THE CONDITION INSPECTION HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY, WITH RESPECT TO THE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LAST REGU LATORY CHECK RIDE IN THE PILOT'S LOG BOOK WAS 11/20/95. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.4) WHILE RETURNING FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED THE AIRPLANE ON A STRAIGHT-IN-APPROACH FOR A WATER LANDING. APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET MSL AND 75 MPH, THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE WITH 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS, AND RESET THE ELEVATOR TRIM. AFTER THE AIRPLANE CLEARED A TREE-COVERED HILL TO THE NORTHEAST, THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE WATER, DRAGGED ITS TAIL, AND BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRPLANE THEN CONTACTED THE WATER FOR A SECOND TIME IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE, AND NOSED OVER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED, AND THE ENGINE WAS RUN ON THE AIRFRAME, AT TAKEOFF POWER, FOR 5 MINUTES. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE ENGINE SEA RATING. FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS EXEMPT PILOTS OF EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT FROM NEEDING A RATING IN THE CATEGORY OF AIRCRAFT THEY ARE OPERATING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.