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20170107000049I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · American Legend AL3 · Lowell, MI · January 7, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 7, 2017 · 12:37 local
Place
Lowell, MI
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N38LC
Reported as
American Legend AL3
Reported engine
Continental O-200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total400 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N38LCRegistered now · American Legend AL3S/N AL-1118 · Built 2008Airframe modelAmerican Legend AL3Engine modelContinental O-200 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 January 07, 2017 at 12:37 eastern standard time (EST), a legend AL-3 aircraft, N38LC , registered to james e. bakeman and operated by a private pilot for a personal flight received minor damage when broke through thin ice while practicing takeoff and landings on murray lake.

Marginal visual meteorological conditions and steady winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The private flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Lowell municipal airport (24C), Lowell, MI at approximately 12:00 EST.

According to the pilot, he was practicing takeoff and landings with wheel penetrating skis on several local lakes that morning. During his landing rollout on murray lake, he made a 180 degree left turn to begin his takeoff roll and the right ski went through the ice followed by the left. The fuselage was quickly submerged but the wings, resting on the ice prevented the aircraft from sinking to the bottom of the 100FT deep lake. Local residents reported that the ice was only a few inches thick and the pilot was rescued by a neighbor with a kayak.

Weather at kgrr airport at 17:53 was: wind 270 degrees at 12 knots, visibility .75 statute miles with light snow, 1300 broken, 2200 overcast, temp 14, dew point 09 and altimeter 3037.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 07, 2017 AT 12:37 EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST), A LEGEND AL-3 AIRCRAFT, N38LC , REGISTERED TO JAMES E. BAKEMAN AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN BROKE THROUGH THIN ICE WHILE PRACTICING TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS ON MURRAY LAKE.

MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND STEADY WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LOWELL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (24C), LOWELL, MI AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 EST.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS WITH WHEEL PENETRATING SKIS ON SEVERAL LOCAL LAKES THAT MORNING. DURING HIS LANDING ROLLOUT ON MURRAY LAKE, HE MADE A 180 DEGREE LEFT TURN TO BEGIN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL AND THE RIGHT SKI WENT THROUGH THE ICE FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT. THE FUSELAGE WAS QUICKLY SUBMERGED BUT THE WINGS, RESTING ON THE ICE PREVENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM SINKING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE 100FT DEEP LAKE. LOCAL RESIDENTS REPORTED THAT THE ICE WAS ONLY A FEW INCHES THICK AND THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY A NEIGHBOR WITH A KAYAK.

WEATHER AT KGRR AIRPORT AT 17:53 WAS: WIND 270 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS, VISIBILITY .75 STATUTE MILES WITH LIGHT SNOW, 1300 BROKEN, 2200 OVERCAST, TEMP 14, DEW POINT 09 AND ALTIMETER 3037.