# Accident 20210703012519A: Swann Lynn J SEAWIND 3000, Beaver Island, MI, July 3, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 3, 2021, 19:49 local time - Place: Beaver Island, MI - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 45.3885° N, 85.3204° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.3885&lon=-85.3204&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8UU, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8UU) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Swann Lynn J SEAWIND 3000 (registry code 056269H, https://openairdocs.org/model/swann-lynn-j-seawind-3000) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SWANN LYNN J SEAWIND 3000 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 16 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA321](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA321) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210703012519A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN21LA321](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA321), Jul 3, 2021: Swann Lynn J Seawind 3000 (N8UU), Charlevoix, MI, destroyed. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons based on available evidence. ## Other reports on N8UU (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20210703012469I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210703012469I), Jul 3, 2021: Swann Lynn J SEAWIND 3000 (N8UU), Manistque, MI, Minor damage. On July 03, 2021 at 1440 local time, an experimental seawind 3000 amphibious aircraft, N8UU, [privacy data omitted]operated by a private pilot, received minor… - [Incident 20210626010949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210626010949I), Jun 26, 2021: Swann Lynn J SEAWIND 3000 (N8UU), La Verne, CA, Minor damage. On 06/26/2021, N8UU executed a gear up landing at bracket field (poc). The PIC stated, ". Requested from tower to overfly the airport and set up for landing… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.