20170807016949I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Ken Smith RANS S-6S · Elcho, WI · August 7, 2017

Date: August 7, 2017 · 19:15 local
Place: Elcho, WI
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N39KS
Reported as: Ken Smith Rans S-6S
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 395 total200 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N39KSRegistered now · Ken Smith RANS S-6SS/N 09051695 Airframe modelKen Smith RANS S-6S

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.

Amphibious aircraft left rhinelander, WI for a pleasure flight. During departure the pilot stated that he was distracted by a fed ex aircraft approaching rhi and forgot to put the gear up. He proceeded to otter lake near Elcho, WI and attempted a south to north landing. He stated that he did not perform his pre-landing checks and therefore, did not realize the gear was still down. Upon touchdown on the lake the aircraft pitched forward, stopped with the empennage perpendicular to the water and sank. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft only sustained minor damage.

As the FAA filed it

AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT LEFT RHINELANDER, WI FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT. DURING DEPARTURE THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY A FED EX AIRCRAFT APPROACHING RHI AND FORGOT TO PUT THE GEAR UP. HE PROCEEDED TO OTTER LAKE NEAR ELCHO, WI AND ATTEMPTED A SOUTH TO NORTH LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM HIS PRE-LANDING CHECKS AND THEREFORE, DID NOT REALIZE THE GEAR WAS STILL DOWN. UPON TOUCHDOWN ON THE LAKE THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD, STOPPED WITH THE EMPENNAGE PERPENDICULAR TO THE WATER AND SANK. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT ONLY SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.