# Accident 20240325003039A: South Central Aviation SEAREY, Knoxville, TN, March 25, 2024 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 25, 2024, 19:49 local time - Place: Knoxville, TN - Airport: Knoxville Downtown Island - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.9638° N, 83.8737° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9638&lon=-83.8737&mi=10 - Aircraft: N912GB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N912GB) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: South Central SEAREY (registry code 05606HM, https://openairdocs.org/model/south-central-searey) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SOUTH CENTRAL AVIATION SEAREY - Reported engine: BOMBARDIER ROTAX (ALL) - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 947 total, 185 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA24LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA155) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240325003039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FROM SUBJECT STATEMENT "DEPARTED 08, ANNOUNCING ON CTAF THAT I WAS STAYING IN THE PATTERN. WITH THE RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED VERY WELL AND I ESTIMATED I WAS MORE THAN 100 FEET OFF THE GROUND BEFORE PASSING THE FIRST TAXIWAY INTERSECTION. AT THAT MOMENT, I WOULD HAVE NORMALLY PUT THE GEAR UP. BUT SINCE I STILL HAD ANOTHER 2000 FEET OF USABLE RUNWAY, I OPTED TO LEAVE IT DOWN FOR THE MOMENT IN CASE OF AN ENGINE FAILURE. I NEGLECTED PUTTING IT UP AS A PASSED THE END OF THE RUNWAY. I MADE A CROSSWIND TURN LESS THAN A ¼ MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY A DOWNWIND TURN ABOUT ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. MID FIELD, I ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT I WOULD BE PERFORMING A WATER LANDING JUST WEST OF THE AIRPORT, IN THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 8. I USED THE DOWNWIND AS AN INSPECTION PASS TO CHECK FOR BOATS, DEBRIS, WATER CONDITIONS (NOTED AS GLASSY). THERE WAS ONE BOAT TRAVELLING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WESTBOUND NEXT TO THE AIRPORT THAT WAS IN MY IDENTIFIED TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I ESTIMATED THAT HE WOULD BE CLEAR BY THE TIME I TOUCHED DOWN, AND MOST OF HIS WAKE WOULD HAVE DISSIPATED. ABOUT ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE JAMES WHITE PARKWAY BRIDGE, I REDUCED AIRSPEED TO LESS THAN 80MPH, SET FLAPS AND TRIM FOR LANDING AND TURNED BASE. I ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT I WAS TURNING BASE FOR RUNWAY 08 FOR A WATER LANDING WEST OF THE AIRPORT. I USUALLY DO THIS NOT ONLY TO ALERT OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN, BUT AS A SEPARATE CHECK FOR MYSELF TO VERIFY GEAR POSITION. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE I THINK I LOOKED AT THE GEAR INDICATOR, FOR SOME REASON, I DID NOT PROCESS THAT IT WAS GREEN FOR A RUNWAY LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND INDICATED AS SUCH AND I DID NOT NOTICE. I THINK I WAS DISTRACTED OR LOST FOCUS. I KNOW I WAS WATCHING WATER CONDITIONS / WAKE AND RECHECKING MY LANDING SPOT MOST OF THE TIME I WAS ON BASE. TURNING FINAL, THIS WAS MY OTHER PLACE TO RE-VERIFY GEAR POSITION. AGAIN, I MISSED IT. I KNOW THAT I RE-CHECKED FLAPS AND TRIM AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON AIRSPEED AND PITCH ATTITUDE. AT THAT POINT, I BECAME HYPER FOCUSED ON MY LANDING AREA AND MAINTAINING OPTIMAL AIRSPEED FOR A WATER TOUCHDOWN. ## 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 ERA24LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA155), Mar 25, 2024: South Central Searey (N912GB), Knoxville, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to retract the landing gear of the amphibious airplane prior to a water landing. ## Other reports on N912GB (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20220703011659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220703011659I), Jul 3, 2022: South Central Aviation SEAREY (N912GB), Knoxville, TN, Minor damage. While preparing to land to runway 8 at dkx, the pilot forgot to lower the landing gear on the seaplane. The plane belly landed on its hull on the centerline.… 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.