What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 10, 2003 at approximately 1400 local time, Mr. Bird water taxied the aircraft from brown's seaplane base into lake jesse in Winter Haven, Florida. After 15 minutes of practicing step taxis, he took off to the north. At approximately 300 feet altitude the engine sputtered and lost power. Mr. Bird turned 180 degrees to return to the lake. Mr. Jon brown, the owner of the base, said when Mr. Bird flared the aircraft and it stalled approximately twenty feet above the surface of the water and the aircraft fell off to the right landing on it's floats. The right wing of the aircraft suffered substantial damage. The forward attach point was broken and the aft attach point was bent rearward. The fuel lines were disconnected and the flight control cables were cut to facilitate retrieval of the aircraft. The outboard three feet of the leading edge of the right wing had impact damage back to the spar. The right wing struts were bent upward at the middle. The fuselage to right float struts were collapsed. Inspection of the aircraft fuel filter (gascolator) found it approximately half full of water. No injuries were reported. Mr. Bird admitted he did not sump the gascolater. Jon brown reported the pilot told him he forgot to sump the wings as well. Mr. Brown reported that at no time did the fuselage enter the water. Mr. Brown reported that they had received a significant amount of rain during the past five days during which the aircraft sat outside. The engine was removed from the airframe and sent to zephyr aircraft engines in zephyr hills Florida for test runs. The engine developed normal oil pressure and average magneto drop. The engine run was witnessed by inspector robert blake from the tampa Florida FSDO (see attached inspectors statement).
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TIME, MR. BIRD WATER TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT FROM BROWN'S SEAPLANE BASE INTO LAKE JESSE IN WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF PRACTICING STEP TAXIS, HE TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ALTITUDE THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. MR. BIRD TURNED 180 DEGREES TO RETURN TO THE LAKE. MR. JON BROWN, THE OWNER OF THE BASE, SAID WHEN MR. BIRD FLARED THE AIRCRAFT AND IT STALLED APPROXIMATELY TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND THE AIRCRAFT FELL OFF TO THE RIGHT LANDING ON IT'S FLOATS. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FORWARD ATTACH POINT WAS BROKEN AND THE AFT ATTACH POINT WAS BENT REARWARD. THE FUEL LINES WERE DISCONNECTED AND THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE CUT TO FACILITATE RETRIEVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE OUTBOARD THREE FEET OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING HAD IMPACT DAMAGE BACK TO THE SPAR. THE RIGHT WING STRUTS WERE BENT UPWARD AT THE MIDDLE. THE FUSELAGE TO RIGHT FLOAT STRUTS WERE COLLAPSED. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL FILTER (GASCOLATOR) FOUND IT APPROXIMATELY HALF FULL OF WATER. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. MR. BIRD ADMITTED HE DID NOT SUMP THE GASCOLATER. JON BROWN REPORTED THE PILOT TOLD HIM HE FORGOT TO SUMP THE WINGS AS WELL. MR. BROWN REPORTED THAT AT NO TIME DID THE FUSELAGE ENTER THE WATER. MR. BROWN REPORTED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAIN DURING THE PAST FIVE DAYS DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT SAT OUTSIDE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND SENT TO ZEPHYR AIRCRAFT ENGINES IN ZEPHYR HILLS FLORIDA FOR TEST RUNS. THE ENGINE DEVELOPED NORMAL OIL PRESSURE AND AVERAGE MAGNETO DROP. THE ENGINE RUN WAS WITNESSED BY INSPECTOR ROBERT BLAKE FROM THE TAMPA FLORIDA FSDO (SEE ATTACHED INSPECTORS STATEMENT).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.