- Date
- February 11, 2006, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Apopka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N128RTTharp S Richard Challenger II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 64384
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 inadequate selection of a landing area which resulted in one of the seaplane's floats impacting a submerged stump.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during the water landing the left pontoon struck a tree stump which was submerged in the lake, and the pontoon was punctured, which caused the right wing support to fail. The pilot said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the aircraft or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 2006, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Richard S. Tharp Challenger II aircraft, N128RT, registered to, and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, incurred damage during landing at Lake Apopka, Apopka, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot was not injured, and the aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from Orlando North Airport, Zellwood, Florida, the same day, about 0930.
The pilot stated he departed Orlando North Airport and preceded south. According to the pilot, he intended to make a full stop water landing at Lake Apopka, approximately 3 miles south of the departure airport. He stated that during his water landing the left pontoon struck a tree stump which was submerged in the lake, and the pontoon was punctured, which caused the right wing support to fail. The pilot said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the aircraft or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128RT
- Reported as
- Tharp S Richard Challenger II
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH20802
- Airframe hours
- 36
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stephen J Bacon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- FA83 · Zellwood, FL
- Destination
- FA83
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 137 total · 14 in this make and model · 54 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 20 nm away