- Date
- July 6, 2024, 08:40 local (12:40 UTC)
- Place
- Eustis, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N222DTrozzi Thomas Searey
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240706010689A
- Case key
- 194737
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 flight instructor's failure to properly configure the landing gear before performing a water landing.
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
The private pilot/owner of the amphibious airplane was receiving instruction to obtain his seaplane rating. After the pilot receiving instruction took off from a runway, the flight instructor took control of the airplane to demonstrate a water landing. While maneuvering for the water landing, the flight instructor reported he was distracted by static over the intercom system and failed to reconfigure the landing gear to the retracted position for a landing on water. Upon touching down on the water, the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane quickly became submerged in water and the pilots removed their restraints, opened the canopy, and swam away from the wreckage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222D
- Reported as
- Trozzi Thomas Searey
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1MK378C
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 740
- Engine
- Rotax 914 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 7, 2024
- Departed
- X23 · Umatilla, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE · Lake Yale
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 525 total · 24 in this make and model · 427 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Remote, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 32,000 total · 28 in this make and model · 30,000 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- LEE, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KLEE 061153Z 00000KT 10SM OVC047 27/24 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP150 T02720244 10272 20256 53013 $,M
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.