- Date
- December 20, 2014, 14:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Bumpass, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N573TBBauer Thomas G Kitfox III
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Case key
- 90529
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 improper flare during a 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
According to the pilot he and his passenger departed from a lake marina on a local flight to conduct water take offs and landings. The flight was uneventful, but during the landing approach, the pilot reported that he misjudged the flare height due to the lack of visual reference on the water surface. He flared the airplane high and subsequently landed hard. Post-accident investigation revealed that the left forward float strut attachment point and lower left frame tube was sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot he and his passenger departed from a lake marina on a local flight to conduct water take offs and landings. The flight was uneventful, but during the landing approach, the pilot reported that he misjudged the flare height due to the lack of visual reference on the water surface. He flared the airplane high and subsequently landed hard. Post-accident investigation revealed that the left forward float strut attachment point and lower left frame tube was sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N573TB
- Reported as
- Bauer Thomas G Kitfox III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1016
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 248.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Patrick Driscoll
- Registered owner
- Patrick Driscoll
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 28, 2014 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- Lake Anna, VA
- Destination
- Lake Anna, VA
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,479 total · 55 in this make and model · 5,125 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8.8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- LKU, 10 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB in all.
Other investigations on N573TB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.