Narrative:

I was giving a friend ses (single engine sea) orientation and had landed my LA4-200 lake buccaneer in the pasquotank river at elizabeth city, nc. I had informed military/ecg tower of my intention to land in the river outside their airspace and had their approval. The wind direction (020 degrees at 9 KTS) required a landing up-river from the us 158 bridge in downtown elizabeth city. I had wanted to be on the other side of the bridge to show my friend/student his boat, which we moved there. We were in step taxi at about 30 mph when I saw that the draw bridge was open. Happy that I now could transit to the other side of the bridge, I intended to pass through the open bridge in step taxi. I assumed the vessel I had just passed was the cause of the bridge being open. When I turned to transit the open bridge, I almost hit the houseboat it had been opened to let pass. A radical turn to starboard prevented a collision, but it was nearly a 'mid-water' as my young son said when I was teaching him to sail and avoid other boats. What I learned: never transit a drawbridge without a marine radio capable of channel 13 to be in contact with the bridge operator. Do not go through a bridge on the 'step,' always slowly in full displacement taxi. Do not assume a 'clear channel' until you have a visual confirmation or have been so advised by the bridge operator. Experience as a military officer and seaplane CFI do not preclude poor judgement/stupidity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LA4 GIVING SINGLE ENG SEA ORIENTATION TO A STUDENT HAS NEAR MISS WITH WATER VESSEL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STEP TAXI THROUGH OPEN DRAWBRIDGE WITHOUT PRIOR ARRANGEMENT.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING A FRIEND SES (SINGLE ENG SEA) ORIENTATION AND HAD LANDED MY LA4-200 LAKE BUCCANEER IN THE PASQUOTANK RIVER AT ELIZABETH CITY, NC. I HAD INFORMED MIL/ECG TWR OF MY INTENTION TO LAND IN THE RIVER OUTSIDE THEIR AIRSPACE AND HAD THEIR APPROVAL. THE WIND DIRECTION (020 DEGS AT 9 KTS) REQUIRED A LNDG UP-RIVER FROM THE US 158 BRIDGE IN DOWNTOWN ELIZABETH CITY. I HAD WANTED TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE TO SHOW MY FRIEND/STUDENT HIS BOAT, WHICH WE MOVED THERE. WE WERE IN STEP TAXI AT ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN I SAW THAT THE DRAW BRIDGE WAS OPEN. HAPPY THAT I NOW COULD TRANSIT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, I INTENDED TO PASS THROUGH THE OPEN BRIDGE IN STEP TAXI. I ASSUMED THE VESSEL I HAD JUST PASSED WAS THE CAUSE OF THE BRIDGE BEING OPEN. WHEN I TURNED TO TRANSIT THE OPEN BRIDGE, I ALMOST HIT THE HOUSEBOAT IT HAD BEEN OPENED TO LET PASS. A RADICAL TURN TO STARBOARD PREVENTED A COLLISION, BUT IT WAS NEARLY A 'MID-WATER' AS MY YOUNG SON SAID WHEN I WAS TEACHING HIM TO SAIL AND AVOID OTHER BOATS. WHAT I LEARNED: NEVER TRANSIT A DRAWBRIDGE WITHOUT A MARINE RADIO CAPABLE OF CHANNEL 13 TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE BRIDGE OPERATOR. DO NOT GO THROUGH A BRIDGE ON THE 'STEP,' ALWAYS SLOWLY IN FULL DISPLACEMENT TAXI. DO NOT ASSUME A 'CLR CHANNEL' UNTIL YOU HAVE A VISUAL CONFIRMATION OR HAVE BEEN SO ADVISED BY THE BRIDGE OPERATOR. EXPERIENCE AS A MIL OFFICER AND SEAPLANE CFI DO NOT PRECLUDE POOR JUDGEMENT/STUPIDITY.

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.