# Incident 20140121001989I: Shadoan James D SEAREY, Winter Haven, FL, January 21, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 21, 2014, 14:30 local time
- Place: Winter Haven, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0222° N, 81.7329° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Winter Haven, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0222&lon=-81.7329&mi=10
- Aircraft: N239JS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N239JS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Shadoan James D SEAREY (registry code 056115Z, https://openairdocs.org/model/shadoan-james-d-searey) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SHADOAN JAMES D SEAREY
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 175 total, 170 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140121001989I

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 21, 2014, AT ABOUT 14:30 EST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HOLDER OF STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHILE CONDUCTING A SOLO FLIGHT IN A SEAREY LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, N239JS, LANDED IN LAKE HAMILTON, FLORIDA, WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION CAUSING THE BOW OF THE HULL TO SUBMARINE DAMAGING THE BOOT COWLING AND CANOPY CAUSING THE HULL TO FILL WITH WATER.

THE HULL OF THE AIRCRAFT ONCE FILLED WITH WATER SANK BELOW THE SURFACE WITH THE WING AND ENGINE REMAINING MOSTLY ABOVE THE SURFACE.  DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIMITED TO THE BOOT COWLING, WHICH COVERS THE BOW OF THE HULL, AND THE CANOPY.  NO STRUCTURAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED.  THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED DURING RECOVERY.  AIRCRAFT DAMAGE IS THEREFORE DETERMINED TO BE MINOR.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE STUDENT PILOT, AND REGISTERED OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED FOR SOLO FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE LANDED IN THE WATER WITH THE GEAR INADVERTENTLY IN THE DOWN POSITION WHICH CAUSED THE BOW OF THE AIRPLANE TO PITCH DOWN INTO THE WATER AND SUBMARINE.

THE AIRCRAFT CONDITION INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON AUGUST 29, 2013, AND WAS FOUND TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION SAFE FOR FLIGHT.  AIRCRAFT OPERATING LIMITATIONS WERE NOT RECOVERED AND WERE THEREFORE NOT REVIEWED.

WEATHER WAS VFR AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR.

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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