# NTSB ERA09LA325: Smith Bret B Searey, N169GW, Knoxville, TN, June 6, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: June 6, 2009, 17:44 local (21:44 UTC)
- Place: Knoxville, TN
- Coordinates: 35.92889, -84.258056
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9289&lon=-84.2581&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Completed, report December 20, 2010
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO, Rotax Flying and Safety Club
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73970
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA09LA325
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73970/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73970
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA325

## Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Smith Bret B SEAREY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05611X7), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Smith Bret B SEAREY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=05611X7), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Smith Bret B SEAREY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05611X7), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Smith Bret B SEAREY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05611X7), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot was providing rides to passengers in an amateur-built seaplane, and following a previous uneventful local flight with another passenger, the pilot returned, landed, and the accident passenger boarded. The final moments of the accident flight were captured on video by pleasure boaters. The airplane overflew the boat at a low altitude, then entered a steep bank, descended steeply, and impacted the water. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or flight controls. According to the experimental seaplane’s kit manufacturer, when equipped with a 100 horsepower engine and loaded with 2 occupants, the stall speed in level flight was 40 miles per hour.

## Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 6, 2009, about 1744 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Smith Searey, N169GW, was substantially damaged when it impacted Melton Lake, near Knoxville, Tennessee. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The local personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to information provided by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot was providing rides to passengers attending a celebration on Melton Lake. Following a previous uneventful local flight with another passenger, the pilot returned, landed, and the accident passenger boarded. The final moments of the accident flight were captured on video by pleasure boaters on Melton Lake. The video depicted the accident airplane flying, about 200 to 400 feet above the boat, before it proceeded away. The airplane then entered a steep bank, descended steeply, and impacted the water. PERSONNEL INFORMATION According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 4, 2009, and the pilot reported 450 total hours of flight experience on that date. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a dual-seat, single engine, amateur-built amphibious seaplane. According to FAA records, the airplane was built and owned by the pilot, and was completed in 2001. No maintenance records were recovered. According to the experimental seaplane’s kit manufacturer, when equipped with a 100 horse power engine and loaded with 2 occupants, the stall speed in level flight was 40 miles per hour. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The 1753 weather observation at Mc Ghee Tyson Airport, located 15 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, included winds from 010 degrees at 3 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, few clouds at 4,800 feet, temperature 26 degrees C, dewpoint 14 degrees C, and altimeter setting of 29.96 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION After recovery from Melton Lake, the wreckage was examined under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. Flight control continuity was traced from all flight control surfaces to the cockpit controls, and no anomalies were noted with the airframe. The engine was drained of accumulated water, examined, and test run. During the test run the engine produced power and no mechanical anomalies were noted. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, performed autopsy postmortem examination on the pilot. The autopsy report indicated the cause of death was "blunt force injuries of torso." The FAA’s Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing for the pilot. Fluid and tissue specimensfrom the pilot tested negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol. Ibuprofen and Naproxen were detected in urine.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N169GW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N169GW-2013-05-08), registration cancelled 2013-05-08, S/N 1DK184, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SMITH BRET B SEAREY
- Registry model: [Smith Bret B SEAREY](https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-bret-b-searey) (registry code 05611X7) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 1DK184
- Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed: NONE, Knoxville, TN
- Destination: NONE, Knoxville, TN

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 40; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; toxicology performed; flight hours: 450 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observed at: TYS, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20090606010759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090606010759A), Jun 6, 2009: Amtr SEAREY, Knoxville, TN, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) The pilot has successfully completed a touch-and-go water landing on melton hill lake. During an attempted left turn above the water, the aircraft lost…

## Docket (7 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73970. 424 KB in all.

- Witness Video (Shelf Item - DVD with Video in H.264 Format) (item 1, .PDF, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40336071&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Video%20(Shelf%20Item%20-%20DVD%20with%20Video%20in%20H.264%20Format)-Master.PDF
- Witness Statement (item 2, .PDF, 33 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335247&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF
- FAA Inspector's Statements (item 3, .PDF, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335249&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statements-Redacted.PDF
- Engine Inspection Report (item 4, .PDF, 169 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335239&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Engine%20Inspection%20Report-Redacted.PDF
- Toxicological Report - Pilot (item 5, .PDF, 39 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335245&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report%20-%20Pilot-Redacted.PDF
- Toxicological Report - Passenger (item 6, .PDF, 41 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335250&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report%20-%20Passenger-Redacted.PDF
- Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 7, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40335241&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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