- Date
- September 25, 2009, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Polk City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N69MXKermit Weeks Quicksilver
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 74834
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 adequately inspect the landing gear floats for water prior to takeoff.
Findings · 3
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
After the pilot landed the amphibious ultralight on a lake, he taxied to the seaplane ramp and parked with about 25 percent of the floats in the water. After about 45 minutes, he attempted a takeoff on the lake and the ultralight would not lift off. He checked the floats and found a significant amount of water inside. He pumped out what he thought was all of the water and attempted another water takeoff; again the aircraft would not become airborne. He began to taxi back to the hangar and decided to perform a takeoff on the grass runway to avoid taxiing over some rough terrain. Shortly after takeoff, the nose pitched up to an excessive angle. The pilot attempted to maintain aircraft control; however the ultralight settled and impacted the runway, resulting in structural damage to the wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there was water in the floats after the accident and that he did not inspect the floats for water before the final takeoff attempt.
Factual narrative
After the pilot landed the amphibious ultralight on a lake, he taxied to the seaplane ramp and parked with about 25 percent of the floats in the water. After about 45 minutes, he attempted a takeoff on the lake and the ultralight would not lift off. He checked the floats and found a significant amount of water inside. He pumped out what he thought was all of the water and attempted another water takeoff; again the aircraft would not become airborne. He began to taxi back to the hangar and decided to perform a takeoff on the grass runway to avoid taxiing over some rough terrain. Shortly after takeoff, the nose pitched up to an excessive angle. The pilot attempted to maintain aircraft control; however the ultralight settled and impacted the runway, resulting in structural damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there was water in the floats after the accident and that he did not inspect the floats for water before the final takeoff attempt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69MX
- Reported as
- Kermit Weeks Quicksilver (Sprint II)
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 423
- Airframe hours
- 21
- Engine
- Rotax 582-UL-DCDI, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kermit Weeks
- Registered owner
- Kermit Weeks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 2008 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- FA08 · Polk City, FL
- Destination
- FA08 · Polk City, FL
- Airport
- FA08 · World's Greatest Aircraft Coll, runway 12, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 15 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 654 KB in all.