What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 2, 2009, NTSB investigator privacy data omitted called the north Florida flight standards district to advise of an accident involving lake LA-4, N85213, that occurred on Lake Apopka, orlando, Florida on December 17, 2008. The event was not originally reported to the NTSB or FAA on December 17, 2008 because privacy data omitted, the owner/pilot in command, did not become aware of substantial damage to N85213 until December 31, 2008, following a complete inspection of the aircraft at amphibians plus, bartow, Florida. According to privacy data omitted in a statement provided to the north Florida flight standards district office, he was practicing water landings on Lake Apopka in N85213 on December 17, 2008. After two successful normal landings, he attempted a simulated loss of power landing by reducing the throttle to idle at approximately 200 feet above the water. privacy data omitted Acknowledged in his statement that he failed to maintain sufficient glide speed during the descent to the water and allowed the aircraft to "drop in", causing a hard landing. privacy data omitted Was unaware of any damage to N85213 until he made a full stop landing and taxied to shore in tavares, Florida. An initial inspection of the aircraft revealed minor damage to the propeller tips and fuselage "turtle deck". Such damage was due to flexing of the engine mount assembly during the hard landing, causing the propeller tips to "graze" the deck area below the propeller. Authorized maintenance personnel changed the propeller and conducted an exterior visual inspection of the aircraft. No apparent structural damage was found, and the aircraft was flown to amphibians plus in bartow, Florida for a more detailed inspection. Upon removal of seats and interior floor panels and a subsequent detailed inspection of the aircraft structure, cracks were found in two bulkhead cross-members. Such damage caused the event to be classified as an accident. Maintenance personnel advised privacy data omitted of their findings and privacy data omitted contacted the NTSB to report the accident on January 2, 2009. FAA airworthiness inspectors assigned to the north Florida FSDO inspected N85213 in bartow, Florida on January 9, 2009 and confirmed structural damage to the bulkhead cross-members as described above.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 2, 2009, NTSB INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED THE NORTH FLORIDA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT TO ADVISE OF AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING LAKE LA-4, N85213, THAT OCCURRED ON LAKE APOPKA, ORLANDO, FLORIDA ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. THE EVENT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY REPORTED TO THE NTSB OR FAA ON DECEMBER 17, 2008 BECAUSE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE OWNER/PILOT IN COMMAND, DID NOT BECOME AWARE OF SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO N85213 UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2008, FOLLOWING A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT AMPHIBIANS PLUS, BARTOW, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN A STATEMENT PROVIDED TO THE NORTH FLORIDA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, HE WAS PRACTICING WATER LANDINGS ON LAKE APOPKA IN N85213 ON DECEMBER 17, 2008. AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL NORMAL LANDINGS, HE ATTEMPTED A SIMULATED LOSS OF POWER LANDING BY REDUCING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACKNOWLEDGED IN HIS STATEMENT THAT HE FAILED TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT GLIDE SPEED DURING THE DESCENT TO THE WATER AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO "DROP IN", CAUSING A HARD LANDING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNAWARE OF ANY DAMAGE TO N85213 UNTIL HE MADE A FULL STOP LANDING AND TAXIED TO SHORE IN TAVARES, FLORIDA. AN INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER TIPS AND FUSELAGE "TURTLE DECK". SUCH DAMAGE WAS DUE TO FLEXING OF THE ENGINE MOUNT ASSEMBLY DURING THE HARD LANDING, CAUSING THE PROPELLER TIPS TO "GRAZE" THE DECK AREA BELOW THE PROPELLER. AUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL CHANGED THE PROPELLER AND CONDUCTED AN EXTERIOR VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO APPARENT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO AMPHIBIANS PLUS IN BARTOW, FLORIDA FOR A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. UPON REMOVAL OF SEATS AND INTERIOR FLOOR PANELS AND A SUBSEQUENT DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, CRACKS WERE FOUND IN TWO BULKHEAD CROSS-MEMBERS. SUCH DAMAGE CAUSED THE EVENT TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ADVISED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THEIR FINDINGS AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED THE NTSB TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT ON JANUARY 2, 2009. FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS ASSIGNED TO THE NORTH FLORIDA FSDO INSPECTED N85213 IN BARTOW, FLORIDA ON JANUARY 9, 2009 AND CONFIRMED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BULKHEAD CROSS-MEMBERS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N85213 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.