- Date
- April 19, 2009, 10:12 local (14:12 UTC)
- Place
- Littleton, NC
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N915TRAmerican Longevity Searey
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090419004969A
- Case key
- 73686
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 ensure the landing gear was properly configured for the water landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The amphibian pilot departed from a paved runway, and planned a water landing on a lake near a small island. At touchdown, the airplane nearly nosed over, but came to rest upright, though it ultimately sank. The forward section of the hull, wing struts, wing structure, and landing gear all sustained damage during the accident sequence. The pilot later stated that he failed to raise the landing gear after his initial departure from the runway, and that he never used the landing checklist onboard the airplane during the flight.
Factual narrative
The amphibian pilot departed from a paved runway, and planned a water landing on a lake near a small island. At touchdown, the airplane nearly nosed over, came to rest upright, but ultimately sank. The forward section of the hull, wing struts, wing structure, and landing gear all sustained damage during the accident sequence. The pilot later stated that he failed to raise the landing gear after his initial departure from the runway, and he never used the checklist onboard the airplane during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N915TR
- Reported as
- American Longevity Searey
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1 DK 313 C
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- Rotax 914 UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 2009
- Departed
- RZZ · Halifax, NC
- Destination
- NONE · Littleton, NC
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
- 43
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Sport Pilot, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,200 total · 30 in this make and model · 9,100 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RZZ, 10 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.