| Crash location | 41.494444°N, 73.450556°W |
| Nearest city | New Fairfield, CT
41.482594°N, 73.488735°W 2.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N885PR |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 15 Sep 2017 |
| Aircraft type | Airmax Construcoes Aeronautica SEAMAX-M22 |
| Additional details: | None |
On September 15, 2017, about 1543 eastern daylight time, an Airmax Construccoes Aeronautica Seamax-M22, N885PR, was substantially damaged after a water landing in Candlewood Lake near New Fairfield, Connecticut. The private pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated by Waterbird Holding, LLC as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Francis S Gabreski Airport (FOK), Westhampton Beach, New York. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
During a normal water landing at the intended destination, the airplane took on water and sunk into the lake. Upon retrieval of the airplane, a 9-inch gouge was discovered on the underside of the forward fuselage, below the water line. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed the substantial damage, and noted that pine tree debris were embedded in the aft portion of the damaged area. The pilot stated that he did not feel any impact during the landing.