What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 03, 2021 at 1949 local time, an experimental seawind 3000 amphibious aircraft, N8UU, privacy data omittedoperated by a private pilot, received substantial damage following the loss of engine power, ditching, and ultimate sinking near Beaver Island, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross country flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was uninjured. The flight originated from schoolcraft county airport (isq), manistique, Michigan 25 minutes prior to the accident.
According to the pilot, privacy data omittedthe aircraft in California and was in the process of getting it privacy data omittedto Michigan. During multiple legs of the trip, the aircraft was involved in a number of landing incidents and accidents that may have caused breaches in the waterproof hull. It was also reported that while landing at the schoolcraft county airport, only the main landing gear would extend resulting in the keel of the aircraft to scrape on the ground during the roll-out. The pilot states, law enforcement personnel helped him manually extend the nose gear. The aircraft was then moved off the runway and over to the fuel pumps. During an inspection performed by the pilot, he found the hydraulic reservoir was low so he topped it off with fluid and decided to continue his flight across lake Michigan.
During the accident flight, the pilot stated he departed normally and started a climb to 5,500 AGL with the landing gear down and locked. It had been recommended he keep the gear down because of the previous loss of hydraulic fluid. During the climb, the pilot states the aircraft would not go above the 5,500 foot altitude for unknown reasons, but he decided to attempt the 60 NM crossing of the lake at that time.
Approximately 20 minutes after departure, the pilot states the engine ?popped? Once, but then ran normally. Within moments following the pop, the aircraft sustained a total loss of power. The pilot made a left hand turn for the closest land while attempting to maintain best glide speed. It was at this time, the pilot reports, he could smell something burning, but could not tell what it was. He also noticed a total loss of hydraulic pressure, preventing any control of the landing gear or flaps. The pilot was able to make radio distress calls and squawk 7700 prior to landing, he ultimately ditched approximately 7 miles sse of Beaver Island. While the aircraft did nose over on landing, the aircraft pivoted 180 degreed and came to rest upright immediately taking on water. The pilot was rescued by us coast guard personnel 40 minutes after the ditching with only a portion of the tail still above the waterline. The aircraft later sank below the surface.
As lake Michigan has depths of near 500 feet in the ditching area, no attempt will be made to locate or salvage the aircraft at this time.
Weather was not a factor in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 03, 2021 AT 1949 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL SEAWIND 3000 AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT, N8UU, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DITCHING, AND ULTIMATE SINKING NEAR BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY AIRPORT (ISQ), MANISTIQUE, MICHIGAN 25 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^THE AIRCRAFT IN CALIFORNIA AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^TO MICHIGAN. DURING MULTIPLE LEGS OF THE TRIP, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF LANDING INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED BREACHES IN THE WATERPROOF HULL. IT WAS ALSO REPORTED THAT WHILE LANDING AT THE SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY AIRPORT, ONLY THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WOULD EXTEND RESULTING IN THE KEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO SCRAPE ON THE GROUND DURING THE ROLL-OUT. THE PILOT STATES, LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL HELPED HIM MANUALLY EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN MOVED OFF THE RUNWAY AND OVER TO THE FUEL PUMPS. DURING AN INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE PILOT, HE FOUND THE HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR WAS LOW SO HE TOPPED IT OFF WITH FLUID AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN.
DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED NORMALLY AND STARTED A CLIMB TO 5,500 AGL WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. IT HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED HE KEEP THE GEAR DOWN BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID. DURING THE CLIMB, THE PILOT STATES THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT GO ABOVE THE 5,500 FOOT ALTITUDE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, BUT HE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT THE 60 NM CROSSING OF THE LAKE AT THAT TIME.
APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT STATES THE ENGINE ?POPPED? ONCE, BUT THEN RAN NORMALLY. WITHIN MOMENTS FOLLOWING THE POP, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT MADE A LEFT HAND TURN FOR THE CLOSEST LAND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN BEST GLIDE SPEED. IT WAS AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT REPORTS, HE COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING, BUT COULD NOT TELL WHAT IT WAS. HE ALSO NOTICED A TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, PREVENTING ANY CONTROL OF THE LANDING GEAR OR FLAPS. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE RADIO DISTRESS CALLS AND SQUAWK 7700 PRIOR TO LANDING, HE ULTIMATELY DITCHED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SSE OF BEAVER ISLAND. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT DID NOSE OVER ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED 180 DEGREED AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IMMEDIATELY TAKING ON WATER. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY US COAST GUARD PERSONNEL 40 MINUTES AFTER THE DITCHING WITH ONLY A PORTION OF THE TAIL STILL ABOVE THE WATERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT LATER SANK BELOW THE SURFACE.
AS LAKE MICHIGAN HAS DEPTHS OF NEAR 500 FEET IN THE DITCHING AREA, NO ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE TO LOCATE OR SALVAGE THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME.
WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8UU · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.