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20180729018299A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · OLD West Funding SEAREY · Haverhill, NH · July 29, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 29, 2018 · 13:20 local
Place
Haverhill, NH
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N221EZ
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA18LA204
Reported as
OLD West Funding Searey
Reported engine
ROTAX 914ULS
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
700 total498 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days
N221EZRegistration cancelled Aug 28, 2019 · OLD West Funding SEAREYS/N ID403CAirframe modelOLD West Funding SEAREY

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 aircraft departed laconia municipal airport (lci) en route to the Connecticut river near dean memorial airport (5B9) in Haverhill, NH. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules, without a flight plan. The pilot in command stated that he made two uneventful landings on the Connecticut river, and took off for a third landing. While on a modified base leg, the pilot stated that the primary flight control stick was unable to move beyond the vertical position. He stated that he applied full throttle in an attempt to go around, but did not have enough performance to avoid trees along the shore of the river. The pilot stated that the aircraft impacted a tree and fell to the river.

The pilot and occupant exited the aircraft and were met by rescue personnel. The passenger sustained the most severe injuries and was airlifted to the hospital. The pilot also sustained serious injuries and was transported via ambulance.

Investigation of the aircraft found substantial damage to the hull and forward cockpit area, and the outer half of both wings, with the left wing more substantially damaged. The left main landing gear was also substantially damaged. The hull and fuselage were submerged for approximately 24 hours. No engine damage was noted. Inspection of flight controls found that all primary controls were connected, but operation of the controls was not possible due aircraft damage. Engine controls were connected and operable.

The pilot in command is a private pilot with an airplane single engine land rating. The aircraft meets the requirements to be operated as a single engine land and sea light sport aircraft. The pilot in command does not have an appropriate endorsement to operate single engine sea light sport aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LACONIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LCI) EN ROUTE TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER NEAR DEAN MEMORIAL AIRPORT (5B9) IN HAVERHILL, NH. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT HE MADE TWO UNEVENTFUL LANDINGS ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, AND TOOK OFF FOR A THIRD LANDING. WHILE ON A MODIFIED BASE LEG, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROL STICK WAS UNABLE TO MOVE BEYOND THE VERTICAL POSITION. HE STATED THAT HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND, BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PERFORMANCE TO AVOID TREES ALONG THE SHORE OF THE RIVER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE AND FELL TO THE RIVER.

THE PILOT AND OCCUPANT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE MET BY RESCUE PERSONNEL. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED THE MOST SEVERE INJURIES AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE PILOT ALSO SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED VIA AMBULANCE.

INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HULL AND FORWARD COCKPIT AREA, AND THE OUTER HALF OF BOTH WINGS, WITH THE LEFT WING MORE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE HULL AND FUSELAGE WERE SUBMERGED FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS. NO ENGINE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. INSPECTION OF FLIGHT CONTROLS FOUND THAT ALL PRIMARY CONTROLS WERE CONNECTED, BUT OPERATION OF THE CONTROLS WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CONNECTED AND OPERABLE.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND IS A PRIVATE PILOT WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. THE AIRCRAFT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE OPERATED AS A SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND DOES NOT HAVE AN APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENT TO OPERATE SINGLE ENGINE SEA LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT.

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 ERA18LA204Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHaverhill, NHThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering the airplane at a very low altitude in a confined area while attempting to land on a river.Jul 29, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N221EZ · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20090513010949ILanding · Howie In The H, FL(-23) After landing on the water, 90 degree wind gust raised right wing which caused a/c to pitch to the left and collapse left float allowing hull to rotate over and filling cockpit with water as a/c came to a stop. A/c was 1/2 submerged but remained…May 13, 2009 · Minor damage