- Date
- June 24, 2009, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bellevue, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N226SEWeston SEA-ERA
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090624011269A
- Case key
- 74131
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 adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 light sport aircraft student pilot was taking his experimental light sport seaplane for its second test flight. The student pilot reported that he reduced power without verifying the airplane's airspeed during the landing and the left wing dropped; the airplane subsequently touched down hard upon the water. Damage included composite material fractures on both vertical fins. The student pilot had about 32 hours total time and had been signed off by his certified flight instructor to fly a single-engine land light sport airplane. He was not signed off for solo flight in the accident airplane. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The light sport aircraft student pilot was taking his experimental light sport seaplane for its second test flight. The student pilot reported that during the landing, he reduced power without verifying the airplane's airspeed and during the landing, the left wing dropped and the airplane touched down hard upon the water. Damage included composite material fractures on both vertical fins. The student pilot had about 32 hours total time and had been signed off by his certified flight instructor to fly a single-engine land light sport airplane. He was not signed off for solo flight in the accident airplane. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N226SE
- Reported as
- Weston SEA-ERA
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Engine
- Jabiru 2200, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul H Weston
- Registered owner
- Paul H Weston
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Bellevue, WA
- Destination
- Bellevue, WA
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 82
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- RNT, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 923 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.
Other investigations on N226SE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.