- Date
- July 9, 2008, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ennis Lake, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N24YDDavid Jarrett Searey
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080709840899A
- Case key
- 68413
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 failure to retract the landing gear prior to landing on the water.
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
The experimental amphibian seaplane is capable of operating from water, and also from land airports when the retractable landing gear is extended. The pilot took off from a land airport and flew to his intended lake destination, where he intended to make a water landing. The pilot made a normal approach to the lake and the seaplane nosed over when the still extended landing gear wheels came in contact with the water. The forward portion of the seaplane's fuselage was crushed, and the pilot was seriously injured. The pilot subsequently reported that during the accident flight he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with his airplane, and he "had forgotten to retract the landing gear" prior to the water landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot initiated the accident flight from the Bozeman Airport. After departure, the pilot flew to his intended Ennis Lake destination, and he proceeded to land. The pilot made a normal approach and touchdown on the lake in his amphibious, experimental seaplane. The seaplane nosed over when the landing gear wheels came in contact with the water. The forward portion of the seaplane's fuselage was crushed, and the pilot was seriously injured. The pilot subsequently reported that during the accident flight he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with his airplane, and he "had forgotten to retract the landing gear" prior to the water landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24YD
- Reported as
- David Jarrett Searey
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1DK427C
- Engine
- Rotax 914, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David C. Jarrett
- Registered owner
- David Jarrett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- BZN · Bozeman, MT
- Destination
- NONE · Ennis Lake, MT
- Airport
- NONE · Lake Ennis
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
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 75 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N24YD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.