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Pilot of experimental searay amphibian aircraft has hull give way on water landing. Pilot and passenger both evacuate/evacuationed safely.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 385236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : orl |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 216 flight time total : 5232 flight time type : 41 |
| ASRS Report | 385236 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I was piloting my experimental amphibian aircraft and performing touch-and-goes on spring lake in altamonte springs, fl. After executing a normal approach in the appropriate confign and at the appropriate airspds, I touched down on the water in a normal attitude when the fiberglas hull gave way and I began taking on water. My passenger and I evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft without incident. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained minor damage. It is my belief that the hull was either fatigued or defective. The factory informs me that there is a newer hull that is also much stronger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was a searay amphibian. The damage was limited until the effort to retrieve the aircraft. The sightseers in their boats created such wave activity that the wing was damaged and will be very time consuming to repair. Instruments that got wet were damaged and the hull itself. Reporter feels the company knows the hull is not a good design since they have changed the design. It is strengthened and upgraded on new models. Company of course denies it is a design problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF EXPERIMENTAL SEARAY AMPHIBIAN ACFT HAS HULL GIVE WAY ON WATER LNDG. PLT AND PAX BOTH EVACED SAFELY.
Narrative: I WAS PILOTING MY EXPERIMENTAL AMPHIBIAN ACFT AND PERFORMING TOUCH-AND-GOES ON SPRING LAKE IN ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL. AFTER EXECUTING A NORMAL APCH IN THE APPROPRIATE CONFIGN AND AT THE APPROPRIATE AIRSPDS, I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE WATER IN A NORMAL ATTITUDE WHEN THE FIBERGLAS HULL GAVE WAY AND I BEGAN TAKING ON WATER. MY PAX AND I EVACED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE HULL WAS EITHER FATIGUED OR DEFECTIVE. THE FACTORY INFORMS ME THAT THERE IS A NEWER HULL THAT IS ALSO MUCH STRONGER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A SEARAY AMPHIBIAN. THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED UNTIL THE EFFORT TO RETRIEVE THE ACFT. THE SIGHTSEERS IN THEIR BOATS CREATED SUCH WAVE ACTIVITY THAT THE WING WAS DAMAGED AND WILL BE VERY TIME CONSUMING TO REPAIR. INSTS THAT GOT WET WERE DAMAGED AND THE HULL ITSELF. RPTR FEELS THE COMPANY KNOWS THE HULL IS NOT A GOOD DESIGN SINCE THEY HAVE CHANGED THE DESIGN. IT IS STRENGTHENED AND UPGRADED ON NEW MODELS. COMPANY OF COURSE DENIES IT IS A DESIGN PROB.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.