What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 08, 2024, at 0900 local time, privacy data omitted, a PA-18A-135 registered to privacy data omitted and operated by a student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) received minor damage during a water take off from bay harbor, northeast of powers island in Traverse City, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident. The training flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 141 without a flight plan. The student pilot, and certified flight instructor received no injuries. The flight originated from Cherry Capital Airport (tvc) at approximately 0900 local time.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 18 and proceeded to taxi back to the college after it was determined that all indications in the cockpit were normal and the vibration was undetermined. Damage to aircraft is as follows: one propeller tip missing approxmiately 3 inches, left side float had a 6X4 inch puncture lower aft and 1X2 inch puncture near front of float, cable and mount assembly was sheared off.
The CFI stated that himself and the student pilot were conducting a final flight sign off for a commercial ses rating. The flight proceeded north bound from runway 18 to the bay harbor/power island area. The student conducted normal/rough water landing and take off west of powers island, and then a landing and take off east of powers island. The student then attempted two confined landings the first one being a go around and the second landing normal then setting up for a take off south bound. During the takeoff near liftoff speed both the CFI and student pilot heard a sharp ping sound thatwas abnormal, but both could not determne what the sound was. The take off proceeded as normal until approximately 700-800 AGL the CFI and student noticed engine vibrations. The CFI then transferred controls from the student pilot to troubleshoot. The CFI adjusted power to see if the RPM setting impacted the vibration. The CFI confirmed it was found to be worse at higher rpms. The CFI and student pilot conducted one more circle around the bay to determine course of action. They contaced tvc tower about 7NM from the field to announce their situation but did not declare an emergency, requesting just a full stop. Both the CFI and student pilot completed a roughness checklist and looked outside the aircraft to see if they could determine were the vibration was coming from. They landed safely on runway 18. The CFI stated without knowing the cause of vibration, and normal indiactions in the cockpit they taxied back to the school. Upon shutdown and exit of the aircraft the CFI and student pilot noticed the front cable brace mount assembly had broken off and damgaed the propeller.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 08, 2024, AT 0900 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PA-18A-135 REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A WATER TAKE OFF FROM BAY HARBOR, NORTHEAST OF POWERS ISLAND IN TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE TRAINING FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 141 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE STUDENT PILOT, AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT (TVC) AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 LOCAL TIME.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 18 AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI BACK TO THE COLLEGE AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT WERE NORMAL AND THE VIBRATION WAS UNDETERMINED. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS: ONE PROPELLER TIP MISSING APPROXMIATELY 3 INCHES, LEFT SIDE FLOAT HAD A 6X4 INCH PUNCTURE LOWER AFT AND 1X2 INCH PUNCTURE NEAR FRONT OF FLOAT, CABLE AND MOUNT ASSEMBLY WAS SHEARED OFF.
THE CFI STATED THAT HIMSELF AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE CONDUCTING A FINAL FLIGHT SIGN OFF FOR A COMMERCIAL SES RATING. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED NORTH BOUND FROM RUNWAY 18 TO THE BAY HARBOR/POWER ISLAND AREA. THE STUDENT CONDUCTED NORMAL/ROUGH WATER LANDING AND TAKE OFF WEST OF POWERS ISLAND, AND THEN A LANDING AND TAKE OFF EAST OF POWERS ISLAND. THE STUDENT THEN ATTEMPTED TWO CONFINED LANDINGS THE FIRST ONE BEING A GO AROUND AND THE SECOND LANDING NORMAL THEN SETTING UP FOR A TAKE OFF SOUTH BOUND. DURING THE TAKEOFF NEAR LIFTOFF SPEED BOTH THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT HEARD A SHARP PING SOUND THATWAS ABNORMAL, BUT BOTH COULD NOT DETERMNE WHAT THE SOUND WAS. THE TAKE OFF PROCEEDED AS NORMAL UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 700-800 AGL THE CFI AND STUDENT NOTICED ENGINE VIBRATIONS. THE CFI THEN TRANSFERRED CONTROLS FROM THE STUDENT PILOT TO TROUBLESHOOT. THE CFI ADJUSTED POWER TO SEE IF THE RPM SETTING IMPACTED THE VIBRATION. THE CFI CONFIRMED IT WAS FOUND TO BE WORSE AT HIGHER RPMS. THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT CONDUCTED ONE MORE CIRCLE AROUND THE BAY TO DETERMINE COURSE OF ACTION. THEY CONTACED TVC TOWER ABOUT 7NM FROM THE FIELD TO ANNOUNCE THEIR SITUATION BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, REQUESTING JUST A FULL STOP. BOTH THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT COMPLETED A ROUGHNESS CHECKLIST AND LOOKED OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO SEE IF THEY COULD DETERMINE WERE THE VIBRATION WAS COMING FROM. THEY LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 18. THE CFI STATED WITHOUT KNOWING THE CAUSE OF VIBRATION, AND NORMAL INDIACTIONS IN THE COCKPIT THEY TAXIED BACK TO THE SCHOOL. UPON SHUTDOWN AND EXIT OF THE AIRCRAFT THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT NOTICED THE FRONT CABLE BRACE MOUNT ASSEMBLY HAD BROKEN OFF AND DAMGAED THE PROPELLER.