What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilots stated they departed Henry County Airport (pht) in Paris, TN and proceeded to an area on Kentucky lake known as "big sandy" to conduct test flights and pilot training. Pilots stated the sky was clear and sunny with a light wind from the southeast at 3 mph, which gave the water a slight ripple on the surface. They circled the landing area and set up for the first landing of the day. They approached the landing area with an indicated speed of 55 to 60 mph, nose up attitude. As the heels of the floats touched the water, the water line moved up to about ¾ on the floats. The aircraft suddenly pitched nose downward in the water. As the cockpit filled with water, they exited the aircraft and swam to the surface of the water. The aircraft settled upside down on the surface. The PIC and passenger climbed on the floats and waited to be rescued. According to the operations limitations and special arworthiness certificate issued to the aircraft at the time of the accident, the aircraft was only certified for production test flights. The operations limitations stated that for production test flights, only the production test pilot is to be the sole occupant. privacy data omitted Was determined to be the production test pilot. privacy data omitted Was learning to land the aircraft on water. Two eir's were filed for violating 91.327 (f).
As the FAA filed it
PILOTS STATED THEY DEPARTED HENRY COUNTY AIRPORT (PHT) IN PARIS, TN AND PROCEEDED TO AN AREA ON KENTUCKY LAKE KNOWN AS "BIG SANDY" TO CONDUCT TEST FLIGHTS AND PILOT TRAINING. PILOTS STATED THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY WITH A LIGHT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 3 MPH, WHICH GAVE THE WATER A SLIGHT RIPPLE ON THE SURFACE. THEY CIRCLED THE LANDING AREA AND SET UP FOR THE FIRST LANDING OF THE DAY. THEY APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA WITH AN INDICATED SPEED OF 55 TO 60 MPH, NOSE UP ATTITUDE. AS THE HEELS OF THE FLOATS TOUCHED THE WATER, THE WATER LINE MOVED UP TO ABOUT ¾ ON THE FLOATS. THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY PITCHED NOSE DOWNWARD IN THE WATER. AS THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH WATER, THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SWAM TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED UPSIDE DOWN ON THE SURFACE. THE PIC AND PASSENGER CLIMBED ON THE FLOATS AND WAITED TO BE RESCUED. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATIONS LIMITATIONS AND SPECIAL ARWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY CERTIFIED FOR PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHTS. THE OPERATIONS LIMITATIONS STATED THAT FOR PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHTS, ONLY THE PRODUCTION TEST PILOT IS TO BE THE SOLE OCCUPANT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PRODUCTION TEST PILOT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS LEARNING TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON WATER. TWO EIR'S WERE FILED FOR VIOLATING 91.327 (F).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.