- Date
- May 18, 2007, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waterford, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N28DRPiper J3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070518014759A
- Case key
- 65972
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 pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, causing a water loop. A factor in the accident was the water loop encountered.
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 float plane's takeoff roll seemed longer than normal to the pilot. After he lifted off, he noticed a shimmy even though the aircraft was out of the water. He decided to abort the takeoff because he "still had plenty of water left to land on" ahead of him. The airplane touched down with the left float first. When the right float touched down, the airplane yawed hard to the right and water looped. Water conditions at the time of the accident were reported by the pilot as calm. An examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff from a lake. The pilot stated, "The airplane seemed to have an abnormally long takeoff roll. It just did not seem right. I tried to adjust the pitch of the airplane to find the 'sweet spot' on the step. Slight nose up did not help and relaxing back pressure did not help either. I then decided to raise the right float out of the water to reduce drag. The airplane lifted off the water what appeared to be normal at first. But while I was accelerating and slowly climbing I felt a slight shimmying even though we were now off the water. I decided to abort the takeoff because I still had plenty of water left to land on ahead of me. ...We appeared to touch down on the left float first. Once the right float contacted the water the plane immediately yawed hard to the right and the airplane rolled fast to the left and spun." Water conditions at the time of the accident were reported by the pilot as calm. An examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28DR
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21010
- Airframe hours
- 2,859
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2007
- Departed
- Waterford, MI
- Destination
- Williams Lake
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland-Pontiac
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 20 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KPTK, 2 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.
Other investigations on N28DR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.