20141006018829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Toerner Bob SEA REY · Tampa, FL · October 6, 2014

Date: October 6, 2014 · 10:50 local
Place: Tampa, FL
Airport: Peter O Knight
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N345BT
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA15CA010
Reported as: Toerner Bob SEA REY
Reported engine: ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 215 total120 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N345BTRegistration cancelled Feb 13, 2018 · Toerner Bob SEA REYS/N 1DK322C · Built 2003 Airframe modelToerner Bob SEA REY Engine 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.

The pilot in command inadvertantly failed to retract the landing gear prior to descending for a low level manuever near the water. The landing gear stuck the surface of the water. The aircraft pitched forward causing the nose into the water and submerge the aircraft so the cockpit was under water. Both the pilot in command and passenger released their seat belts and shoulder harness, exited the aircraft and used their life preservers to float to the water surface.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND INADVERTANTLY FAILED TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO DESCENDING FOR A LOW LEVEL MANUEVER NEAR THE WATER. THE LANDING GEAR STUCK THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD CAUSING THE NOSE INTO THE WATER AND SUBMERGE THE AIRCRAFT SO THE COCKPIT WAS UNDER WATER. BOTH THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND PASSENGER RELEASED THEIR SEAT BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESS, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND USED THEIR LIFE PRESERVERS TO FLOAT TO THE WATER SURFACE.

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 ERA15CA010Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTampa, FLThe pilot's failure to retract the landing gear after takeoff, which resulted in the landing gear contacting the water while maneuvering at low altitude.Oct 6, 2014 · Substantial damage