- Date
- August 15, 2015, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N831CMMckinney Charles R Searey
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Louisville FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150815012889A
- Case key
- 91818
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 amphibious airplane's impact with a submerged object during a water landing, which resulted in a nose over.
Findings · 1
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 pilot of the amphibious airplane stated that after a normal touchdown on a river, "5-10 seconds later we were upside down." The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane into the water and a nearby boater came to their assistance. The pilot stated that he believed he struck a submerged object in the water. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI), the right side of the airplane showed evidence that the airplane struck an object submerged in the water. The FAA ASI also reported that he was informed of numerous recreational boats striking debris near the accident site earlier in the day. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious airplane stated that after a normal touchdown on a river, "5-10 seconds later we were upside down." The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane into the water and a nearby boater came to their assistance. The pilot stated that he believed he struck a submerged object in the water. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI), the right side of the airplane showed evidence that the airplane struck an object submerged in the water. The FAA ASI also reported that he was informed of numerous recreational boats striking debris near the accident site earlier in the day. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N831CM
- Reported as
- Mckinney Charles R Searey (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1DK150
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 90.7
- Engine
- Bombardier Rotax, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 22, 2015
- Departed
- OI57 · Hamersville, OH
- Destination
- None · Augusta, KY
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,210.1 total · 70 in this make and model · 17.7 in the last 90 days · 10.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KI69, 12 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 648 KB 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.