# Accident 19990422003939A: Amtr SEAREY, Shelby Bay, MD, April 22, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 22, 1999, 13:00 local time
- Place: Shelby Bay, MD
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9005° N, 76.5397° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9005&lon=-76.5397&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6115P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6115P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Sellors James H SEAREY (registry code 05605KF, https://openairdocs.org/model/sellors-james-h-searey) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR SEAREY
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX912
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 192 total, 32 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA096) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990422003939A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC99FA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA096), Apr 22, 1999: Sellors Searey (N6115P), Selby Beach, MD, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing sequence, which resulted in the airplane contacting the water in a nose low attitude.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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