- Date
- May 16, 2004, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glasco, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- UNREGHigh Craft Buccaneer
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 59284
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 maintain airspeed during landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with the water. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane and his diverted attention.
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 was preparing for a landing on the lake when he was "distracted" by people standing on the docks waving to him. He stated that he removed his hand from the throttle to wave back, and the engine rpm decreased momentarily. He then applied power; however, at an altitude of about 40 to 50 feet, he "inadvertently stalled the airplane," and it "pancaked" onto the water. After impacting the water, the seaplane overturned, coming to rest inverted. The pilot additionally stated that he had purchased the seaplane about three weeks prior to the accident, and the accident flight was his first flight in it. He reported no mechanical deficiencies with the seaplane.
Factual narrative
On May 16, 2004, at 1530 eastern daylight time, an unregistered amateur-built High Craft Buccaneer seaplane, was substantially damaged during landing on a lake in Glasco, New York. The student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the student pilot, he was preparing for a landing on the lake when he was "distracted" by people standing on the docks waving to him. He stated that he removed his hand from the throttle to wave back, and the engine rpm decreased momentarily. He then applied power; however, at an altitude of about 40 to 50 feet, he "inadvertently stalled the airplane," and it "pancaked" onto the water. After impacting the water, the seaplane overturned, coming to rest inverted.
The student pilot stated that he had purchased the seaplane about three weeks prior to the accident, and the accident flight was his first flight in it. He also reported no mechanical deficiencies with the seaplane.
Examination of the seaplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- High Craft Buccaneer
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- None
- Engine
- Rotax 532, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Theodore Covert
- Registered owner
- Theodore Covert
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Glasco, NY
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 110 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- POU, 9 nm away