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20230707009529A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Good James AIR CAM · Oak Island, NC · July 7, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 7, 2023 · 08:30 local
Place
Oak Island, NC
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N38HP
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA290
Reported as
Good James AIR CAM
Reported engine
Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,501 total
N38HPRegistration cancelled May 6, 2024 · Good James AIR CAMS/N 111042 · Built 2002Airframe modelGood James AIR CAMEngine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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 7/7/2023 an experimental Air Cam amphibian was destroyed when it was involved in an accident approximately 1 mile north west of bald head Island, NC. The instrument rated private pilot, departed cape fear regional jetport (ksut) with one passenger on board and landed on the ocean. According to the pilot, he realized the swells were very large a few moments before the plane settled on the water but chose not to perform a go around because he was at a low airspeed. After landing, he assessed the conditions for takeoff and decided that the swells were spaced FAR enough apart for takeoff but did not realize they were traveling so fast. By his estimate, the plane was traveling at approximately 35-40 knots and was on the step when a swell came and caused the plane to roll right, catching the right wing in the water and flipping it upside down. The plane came to rest in the water in an inverted position. The passenger and pilot were able to exit the aircraft and were unharmed. The pilot further commented that he has landed in this location previously.

As the FAA filed it

ON 7/7/2023 AN EXPERIMENTAL AIR CAM AMPHIBIAN WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH WEST OF BALD HEAD ISLAND, NC. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, DEPARTED CAPE FEAR REGIONAL JETPORT (KSUT) WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD AND LANDED ON THE OCEAN. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE REALIZED THE SWELLS WERE VERY LARGE A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE THE PLANE SETTLED ON THE WATER BUT CHOSE NOT TO PERFORM A GO AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS AT A LOW AIRSPEED. AFTER LANDING, HE ASSESSED THE CONDITIONS FOR TAKEOFF AND DECIDED THAT THE SWELLS WERE SPACED FAR ENOUGH APART FOR TAKEOFF BUT DID NOT REALIZE THEY WERE TRAVELING SO FAST. BY HIS ESTIMATE, THE PLANE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 KNOTS AND WAS ON THE STEP WHEN A SWELL CAME AND CAUSED THE PLANE TO ROLL RIGHT, CATCHING THE RIGHT WING IN THE WATER AND FLIPPING IT UPSIDE DOWN. THE PLANE CAME TO REST IN THE WATER IN AN INVERTED POSITION. THE PASSENGER AND PILOT WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE UNHARMED. THE PILOT FURTHER COMMENTED THAT HE HAS LANDED IN THIS LOCATION PREVIOUSLY.

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 CEN23LA290Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCaswell Beach, NCThe pilot’s failure to properly evaluate the sea state during an open sea landing and subsequent takeoff attempt resulting in an inadvertent impact with the water.Jul 7, 2023 · Substantial damage