20040929024539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr CH 701 · Truckee, CA · September 29, 2004

Date: September 29, 2004 · 15:30 local
Place: Truckee, CA
Airport: Truckee-Tahoe Airport
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4271Q
Reported as: Amtr CH701
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 325 total150 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N4271QRegistration cancelled Dec 4, 2021 · Ellis Melvin L CH 701S/N 7-3199 Airframe modelEllis Melvin L CH 701 Engine 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.

(-23) The flight departed petaluma muni airport (069) at about 1000 PDT on 09/28/04. After several enroute water landings, the aircraft landed Truckee/Tahoe airport (trk) fueled and departed. The aircraft was operated locally and returned trk at about 1600 PDT. Upon landing at trk, the floats were damaged due to the pilots failure to lower the landing gear. Note: the damaged float were not repaired. On 09/29/2004, at about 1400 PDT, the aircraft departed trk and at about 1500 PDT, landed on lake Tahoe. Shortly thereafter, during the departure phase of operation, the aircraft capsized about 1000 feet from the shoreline. The pilot stated that he landed on the lake to have lunch. After lunch, the engine was started and during taxi, a strong gust of wind was encountered and the aircraft capsized in 60 degree water with wave heights of 1 foot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED PETALUMA MUNI AIRPORT (069) AT ABOUT 1000 PDT ON 09/28/04. AFTER SEVERAL ENROUTE WATER LANDINGS, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED TRUCKEE/TAHOE AIRPORT (TRK) FUELED AND DEPARTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED LOCALLY AND RETURNED TRK AT ABOUT 1600 PDT. UPON LANDING AT TRK, THE FLOATS WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE PILOTS FAILURE TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. NOTE: THE DAMAGED FLOAT WERE NOT REPAIRED. ON 09/29/2004, AT ABOUT 1400 PDT, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TRK AND AT ABOUT 1500 PDT, LANDED ON LAKE TAHOE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DURING THE DEPARTURE PHASE OF OPERATION, THE AIRCRAFT CAPSIZED ABOUT 1000 FEET FROM THE SHORELINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED ON THE LAKE TO HAVE LUNCH. AFTER LUNCH, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND DURING TAXI, A STRONG GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAPSIZED IN 60 DEGREE WATER WITH WAVE HEIGHTS OF 1 FOOT.