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20080410836299A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr SEAREY · Lake Jessup, FL · April 10, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 10, 2008 · 09:03 local
Place
Lake Jessup, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N815Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA08CA088
Reported as
Amtr Searey
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX912S
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
330 total251 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N815ZRegistration cancelled Jan 29, 2018 · Furr William E SEAREYS/N 1DK044 · Built 2006Airframe modelFurr William E SEAREYEngine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

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) privacy data omitted pilot in command and sole occupant of Searey, N815Z, stated that as he initiated a water takeoff from Lake Jessup, seminole county, Florida at approximately 09:03 on April 10, 2008, everything appeared normal. privacy data omittedFurther stated that as the aircaft began to lift off of the water, it abruptly rolled to the right and pitched down into water. Upon impact with the water, the aircraft flipped over, causing serious injury to the pilot and substantial damage to the aircraft. Inspection of the aircraft as it was initially raised from the water revealed the forward portion of the right horizontal stabilizer detached from the airframe. The left horizontal stabilizer was in place. Subsequent investigation, upon the aircraft being recovered to shore, revealed that a self locking nut, which secures the forward portion of the right horizontal stabilizer to a bolt which passes through a bracket on the left horizontal stabilizer and then through the aircraft's trim mechanism, was missing. Such missing mut allowed the right horizontal stabilizer to depart it's forward attach point to the airframe. As indicated above, the left horizontal stabilizer had remained in place, because the bolt that secures the forward portion of the left and right horizontal stabilizers together, and passes through the trim mechanism, had remained in place within the trim assembly. Further inspection of such bolt revealed no damage, indicating thet the nut that secured the assembly together was missing as the aircraft became airborne, thus allowing the forward portion of the right horizontal stabilizer to depart the airframe, causing uncontrolled flight. A recommendation was provided to progressive aerodyne, the manufacturer of the Searey homebuilt kit, to change the bolt and nut that secures the left and right horizontal stabilizers together, as described above, from a self locking nut to a castellated nut with a cotter pin. privacy data omitted Aviation safety inspector, north Florida FSDO

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT IN COMMAND AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF SEAREY, N815Z, STATED THAT AS HE INITIATED A WATER TAKEOFF FROM LAKE JESSUP, SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA AT APPROXIMATELY 09:03 ON APRIL 10, 2008, EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^FURTHER STATED THAT AS THE AIRCAFT BEGAN TO LIFT OFF OF THE WATER, IT ABRUPTLY ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND PITCHED DOWN INTO WATER. UPON IMPACT WITH THE WATER, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO THE PILOT AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WAS INITIALLY RAISED FROM THE WATER REVEALED THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS IN PLACE. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION, UPON THE AIRCRAFT BEING RECOVERED TO SHORE, REVEALED THAT A SELF LOCKING NUT, WHICH SECURES THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TO A BOLT WHICH PASSES THROUGH A BRACKET ON THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THEN THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT'S TRIM MECHANISM, WAS MISSING. SUCH MISSING MUT ALLOWED THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TO DEPART IT'S FORWARD ATTACH POINT TO THE AIRFRAME. AS INDICATED ABOVE, THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD REMAINED IN PLACE, BECAUSE THE BOLT THAT SECURES THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS TOGETHER, AND PASSES THROUGH THE TRIM MECHANISM, HAD REMAINED IN PLACE WITHIN THE TRIM ASSEMBLY. FURTHER INSPECTION OF SUCH BOLT REVEALED NO DAMAGE, INDICATING THET THE NUT THAT SECURED THE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER WAS MISSING AS THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE, THUS ALLOWING THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TO DEPART THE AIRFRAME, CAUSING UNCONTROLLED FLIGHT. A RECOMMENDATION WAS PROVIDED TO PROGRESSIVE AERODYNE, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE SEAREY HOMEBUILT KIT, TO CHANGE THE BOLT AND NUT THAT SECURES THE LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS TOGETHER, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, FROM A SELF LOCKING NUT TO A CASTELLATED NUT WITH A COTTER PIN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, NORTH FLORIDA FSDO

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA08CA088Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportWinter Springs, FLThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.Apr 10, 2008 · Substantial damage