- Date
- April 3, 1991, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waycross, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N71427David Lowe ULTRA-PUP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910403012429A
- Case key
- 8390
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the airplane battery, which prohibited the complete extension of the landing gear, resulting in a landing with the nose gear retracted. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain at the selected landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was preparing to land the homebuilt, amphibious airplane. The main landing gear extended; however, the nose gear remained up. An unsuccessful attempt was made to raise the main gear. The pilot then elected to land the airplane on the grass surface adjacent to the paved runway. Upon touchdown, the front float pods dug into the soft soil, and the airplane nosed over. The operator reported that the battery had failed, and battery power is required to raise and lower the landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71427
- Reported as
- David Lowe ULTRA-PUP
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- OO5L-25
- Airframe hours
- 87
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mosler Motors, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mosler Motors, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1990 · 87 hours before
- Departed
- DNL · Augusta, GA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AYS · Waycross
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 62 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.