- Date
- October 2, 1998, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Keystone Height, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N54114Auxier Herschel A Jr. SEA REY Amphibian
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 28, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981002027969A
- Case key
- 44106
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 pilots failure to attain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall, and loss of control.
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
According to the pilot, after about nine touch and go landings on Lake Geneva, he noticed the tenth takeoff was sluggish and required more time to get off the water. Once airborne the aircraft began a left bank, and aileron control would not correct for it. The aircraft spiraled left until the left wingtip and nose contacted the water. The pilot stated that he may not have reached minimum control speed before takeoff and stalled the aircraft. Examination of the airplane found no mechanical defects.
Factual narrative
On October 2, 1998, about 1030 Eastern Standard Time an Auxier Herschel A. Jr. Sea Rey Amphibian homebuilt airplane, N54114, collided with water shortly after takeoff at Lake Geneva, in Keystone Heights, Florida. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The private pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Melrose, Florida, about 0930.
According to the pilot, after about nine touch and go landings on Lake Geneva, he noticed the tenth takeoff was sluggish and required more time to get off the water. Once airborne at about 20 to 30 feet above the ground the aircraft began a left turn, and aileron input would not correct for it. The aircraft spiraled left until the left wingtip and nose contacted the water. Just prior to impact the pilot stated that he pulled the throttle back when he realized he had no aileron control to minimize the impact with the water. He estimated the speed at impact at about 40 to 45 miles per hour.
According to the FAA Inspector on-scene, the pilot stated to him that he may not have reached minimum control speed before takeoff and stalled the aircraft. Examination of the airplane found no mechanical defects, and the pilot was not certificated for a single engine sea plane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54114
- Reported as
- Auxier Herschel A Jr. SEA REY Amphibian (SEA REY AM)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1DK063
- Airframe hours
- 39
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Auxier Herschel Ainsworth Jr.
- Departed
- PVT · Melrose, FL
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 910 total · 47 in this make and model · 910 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.