# Accident 20080410836299A: Amtr SEAREY, Lake Jessup, FL, April 10, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 10, 2008, 09:03 local time
- Place: Lake Jessup, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.7133° N, 81.2681° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.7133&lon=-81.2681&mi=10
- Aircraft: N815Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N815Z-2018-01-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Furr William E SEAREY (registry code 05617PW, https://openairdocs.org/model/furr-william-e-searey) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR SEAREY
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX912S
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 330 total, 251 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA08CA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA088) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080410836299A

## Narrative

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

(-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

## 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 MIA08CA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA088), Apr 10, 2008: William E. Furr SeaRey (N815Z), Winter Springs, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.

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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