ERA18LA204

The private pilot took off in the experimental, amateur-built amphibious airplane from a river, which was about 100 ft wide and lined with trees on both sides, and initiated a right 180° turn. He then made a left teardrop turn about 50 ft above ground level over a flat cornfield to make a 45° re-entry to land back on the river. When the airplane crossed over the river's shoreline, the pilot attempted to turn left and line up with the river; however, according to the pilot, the control stick would not move past the vertical position. He added power, but the airplane was unable to climb above trees on the opposite side of the river. The airplane collided with the trees and descended into the water. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed both wings had been removed during recovery, but the flight controls moved freely when manually manipulated. The pilot said the airplane's automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) component, which was attached to the control panel via a suction cup, may have come loose during the flight and become caught under the flight control assembly, thus jamming the flight controls. He demonstrated how an object could get caught under the controls; however, neither he nor the passenger could confirm that this happened on the accident flight, and examination of the ADS-B component did not reveal any physical damage. The pilot said that he would normally climb above the surrounding terrain before coming back to land; however, during this flight, he did not give himself an "out" in case of an emergency. His decision to maneuver the airplane below surrounding terrain in a confined area left insufficient altitude to troubleshoot a perceived flight control issue, and he was unable to remain clear of trees.

On July 29, 2018, at 1205 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built SeaRey amphibious airplane, N221EZ, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees then water while attempting to land on the Connecticut River, near Haverhill, New Hampshire. The private pilot/registered owner and the passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight originated from the river about 1200. The pilot stated that he had made two successful water landings on the Connecticut River and was preparing to make a third landing up-river to join a friend who had already landed and beached his SeaRey. After takeoff, he initiated a right 180° turn before making a left "teardrop" (beyond 180°) turn over a flat cornfield to make a 45° re-entry to the river at an altitude of 50 ft above ground level. When the airplane crossed over the shoreline, the pilot attempted to turn left and line up with the river, but the control stick would not move past the vertical position. The airplane would not turn and was approaching 60-ft-tall trees on the opposite side of the river. The pilot added power, but the airplane was unable to out climb the trees and collided with them at a speed of about 70 knots. The airplane then descended in a nose down left-wing low attitude, into the river. The pilot said that he would normally climb above the surrounding terrain before coming back into land; however, during this flight, he did not give himself an "out" in case of an emergency. The passenger stated they had made a left hand turn over the corn field at "tree top height" when the pilot attempted to make another left hand turn to line up with the "very winding" river. As the pilot initiated the turn, the passenger saw trees ahead of them and told the pilot to, "pull up, pull up!" The pilot was "struggling" with the control stick and was unable to pull up and clear the trees. The airplane clipped the tops of the trees and impacted the river in a left nose down attitude. The airplane came to rest upright and partially submerged in shallow water in the Connecticut River. The width of the river was about 100 ft wide and lined with trees on both sides. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed both wings had been removed during recovery, but the flight controls moved freely when manually manipulated. The pilot said that he thought his ADS-B component, which was attached to the control panel via a suction cup, may have come loose during the flight and got caught under the flight control assembly, thus jamming the controls. He demonstrated how it was possible for this to occur; however, neither he nor the passenger could confirm this actually happened. Examination of the ADS-B component did not reveal any physical damage. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplanesingle-engine land. He also held a sport pilot certificate; however, a review of his logbook by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector revealed that he was not endorsed for Light Sport single-engine sea airplanes. The pilot's last FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on December 20, 2017. He reported a total of 760 flight hours; of which, 498 hours were in the accident airplane. At 1100, weather at LCI was reported as wind from 290° at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft, temperature 81° F, dew point 75° F, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury.