20150601008599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Sea & Sky CYGNET · Panama City, FL · June 1, 2015

Date: June 1, 2015 · 07:12 local
Place: Panama City, FL
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N59AT
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA15LA230
Reported as: Sea & Sky Cygnet
Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,600 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N59ATRegistration cancelled Jun 26, 2018 · Sea & Sky CYGNETS/N 20114 · Built 2011 Airframe modelSea & Sky CYGNET Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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.

On June 1st, 2015 the pilot and his son unloaded the aircraft from a trailer near a boat launch. The aircraft was set up for flight and the pilot performed a preflight inspection per his checklist. He started the engine and taxied into saint andrews bay off the coast of Panama City, FL. The pilot performed a normal take off and at 300 feet reduced power and turned to the right. The aircraft started to oscillate. The pilot turned the opposite way of the oscillations and reduced power after failing to control the aircraft. The aircraft continued to turn left and right more severely until about 50 feet off the water. The aircraft made a sharp 90 degree turn to the right and struck the water. The aircraft had extensive damage to the propeller and right side of the aircraft. The aircraft sunk to the bottom of the bay. The pilot was rescued and received injuries to his right eye and right side of his body.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 1ST, 2015 THE PILOT AND HIS SON UNLOADED THE AIRCRAFT FROM A TRAILER NEAR A BOAT LAUNCH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET UP FOR FLIGHT AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION PER HIS CHECKLIST. HE STARTED THE ENGINE AND TAXIED INTO SAINT ANDREWS BAY OFF THE COAST OF PANAMA CITY, FL. THE PILOT PERFORMED A NORMAL TAKE OFF AND AT 300 FEET REDUCED POWER AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO OSCILLATE. THE PILOT TURNED THE OPPOSITE WAY OF THE OSCILLATIONS AND REDUCED POWER AFTER FAILING TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT AND RIGHT MORE SEVERELY UNTIL ABOUT 50 FEET OFF THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SHARP 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUNK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BAY. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED AND RECEIVED INJURIES TO HIS RIGHT EYE AND RIGHT SIDE OF HIS BODY.

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 ERA15LA230Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPanama City Beach, FLThe pilot's loss of aircraft control, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.Jun 2, 2015 · Substantial damage