- Date
- March 29, 2008, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Dora, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N202MTThomas J. Dorsey Searey
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Tampa FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080329836839A
- Case key
- 67740
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 verify the position of the landing gear prior to making a water landing.
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
According to the pilot of an amateur built Searey amphibian airplane, he departed Eustis, Florida about 1420 and flew towards Lake Dora, Florida, to do a water landing. The approach onto Lake Dora, was normal. As he touched down he looked and realized that he had not retracted the landing gear. He applied full power and full aft elevator, however the drag from the landing gear did not allow the airspeed to increase and the airplane came to a rapid stop, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot further stated, that he had good instruction, and has flown many different airplanes, "I just made a bad mistake that I hope never happens again."
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of an amateur built Searey amphibian airplane, he departed Eustis, Florida about 1420 and flew towards Lake Dora, Florida, to do a water landing. The approach onto Lake Dora, was normal. As he touched down he looked and realized that he had not retracted the landing gear. He applied full power and full aft elevator, however the drag from the landing gear did not allow the airspeed to increase and the airplane came to a rapid stop, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot further stated, that he had good instruction, and has flown many different airplanes, "I just made a bad mistake that I hope never happens again."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N202MT
- Reported as
- Thomas J. Dorsey Searey
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1MK 295C
- Airframe hours
- 216
- Engine
- Rotax 914UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glenn Louis Abbett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 1, 2007 · 199 hours before
- Departed
- X55 · Eustis, FL
- Destination
- X04 · Apopka, FL
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,525 total · 14 in this make and model · 1,416 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KLEE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.