What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 3, 2004, at 1140 EDT, a Maule MX-7-235, N660HB, registered to bernis old seaplane company, inc., wilmington, Delaware, made an emergency landing in a pond, while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated from a private lake near orlando, Florida on September 3, 2004, at 0930 hours. In a statement to the jefferson county sheriff, the pilot stated that he had advised the moultrie airport that he was running low on fuel and subsequently the aircraft did run out of fuel. He said that he set the aircraft down in the small lake after the engine stopped. In statements to the FAA, the pilot stated that he had the fuel topped off in winterhaven, Florida and had flown additional flights prior to departing for moultrie, Georgia on the day of the accident. He said the fuel was three inches from the top when he left for moultrie, Georgia. The aircraft sustained major structural damage to fuselage tubing and the left wing spar when it struck a cypress tree in the pond during the landing. The maintenance personnel, who dismantled and retrieved the aircraft, drained approximately 1 1/2 gallons of fuel from the wings. The total unusable main fuel is 3 gallons.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2004, AT 1140 EDT, A MAULE MX-7-235, N660HB, REGISTERED TO BERNIS OLD SEAPLANE COMPANY, INC., WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A POND, WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE LAKE NEAR ORLANDO, FLORIDA ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2004, AT 0930 HOURS. IN A STATEMENT TO THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD ADVISED THE MOULTRIE AIRPORT THAT HE WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRCRAFT DID RUN OUT OF FUEL. HE SAID THAT HE SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN THE SMALL LAKE AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED. IN STATEMENTS TO THE FAA, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD THE FUEL TOPPED OFF IN WINTERHAVEN, FLORIDA AND HAD FLOWN ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR MOULTRIE, GEORGIA ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID THE FUEL WAS THREE INCHES FROM THE TOP WHEN HE LEFT FOR MOULTRIE, GEORGIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE TUBING AND THE LEFT WING SPAR WHEN IT STRUCK A CYPRESS TREE IN THE POND DURING THE LANDING.THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHO DISMANTLED AND RETRIEVED THE AIRCRAFT, DRAINED APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE WINGS. THE TOTAL UNUSABLE MAIN FUEL IS 3 GALLONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.