NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 2, 2010, at 1115 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Duflo Sea Rey, N914SR, experienced a loss of control during an approach for landing at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base (F57) Winter Haven, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The certificated private pilot was killed. The flight originated at F57 about 1113.

One witness stated that he was helping to get seaplanes into Lake Jessie when he observed the accident seaplane on a very slow climb out, with a high angle of attack from the lake. It appeared to the witness as if the pilot was "hanging the aircraft on the prop." The seaplane barely cleared the trees at the edge of the lake and made a left climbing turn as if the pilot was trying to gain altitude. The witness walked towards an office and observed the seaplane on what appeared to be a base leg for landing. He was not sure if the seaplane was going to land on the runway or in the lake. The seaplane made a steep left turn and entered a left spin. The seaplane rotated about one complete turn before it impacted the lake in a nose-down attitude.

Another witness was on final approach to runway 5 at F57 while conducting an instructional flight with a student. The instructor pilot heard the accident pilot report a left base on the common traffic advisory frequency. The instructor looked back over his shoulder and observed the Sea Rey at his 8 o’clock position about 400 feet above the ground. The landing gear was not extended and the nose of the Sea Rey was pitched up extremely high. The airplane was observed to stall, enter a spin to the left and impacted the lake in a 90-degree nose down attitude.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 64, held a private pilot certificate issued on April 10, 2010, with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot did not have a single-engine sea rating. The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate issued on July 25, 2008, with the restriction, "must have available glasses for near vision." The pilot indicated on his application for the medical certificate that he had 3,000 total flight hours. The pilot's logbook was not located. His total flight time and last flight review could not be determined.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat single-engine airplane, serial number 1DK160, was issued a certificate of registration on April 19, 2000. Its maximum gross weight was 1,370 pounds. It was powered by a Rotax 914, 115-horsepower engine, with a turbocharger, and was equipped with an Ivo two-bladed magnum fixed propeller. Review of the aircraft logbooks revealed the last condition inspection was conducted on July 10, 2009. The tachometer reading was 147 hours. The tachometer at the crash site indicated 184.9 total hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida, located 14 miles northwest of the crash site, 1050 surface weather observation was: winds calm, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 32 degrees Celsius, dew point temperature 22 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The seaplane wreckage was located in Lake Jessie about 300 feet east of the west shoreline of the 900 block of Lake Jessie Drive in Winter Haven, Florida. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, agricultural deputies, and members of the Fish and Game assisted in the recovery of the seaplane from the lake to a seaplane ramp at F57.

The forward nose deck, windshield, and upper canopy were separated from the nose of the hull, extending aft to the forward root support and pylon assembly. The instrument panel was damaged and was separated from the nose deck. The left and right seats were intact and attached to the main bulkhead and the forward support tube. The pilot seatbelt was released by a witness who dove into the lake to assist the pilot.

The hour meter at the accident site indicated 184.9 hours. The throttle was at mid range, and the fuel selector was in the on position.

Continuity of the flight controls was confirmed from the control sticks aft to all flight control surfaces. The fuel tank was not ruptured. Fuel and water was present in the fuel tank. The left and right main landing gear was in the retracted position.

The right wing remained attached to the spar yoke and the root tube assembly. The leading edge of the right wing was damaged about 2 feet outboard of the wing root, and the leading edge spar was bent about 5 degrees. The trailing edge wing spar was bowed about 5 degrees about 4 feet outboard of the wing root attachment. The upper and lower wing fabric was damaged. The forward and aft wing strut remained attached to the fuselage and the wing. The main float support tube with float assembly remained attached to the wing. The right flap and right aileron was not damaged and remained attached to its attachment points. The right flap remained attached to its attachment points and was damaged. The position of the flaps was not determined.

The baggage area and side windows were in position and damaged. The empennage was intact. The vertical fin and rudder assembly was intact and not damaged. The right horizontal stabilizer remained attached to the vertical fin. The fabric was damaged and the trailing edge was bowed upward. The leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer was not damaged.

The right elevator remained attached to all attachment points. The leading edge of the elevator was bowed downward and the trailing edge was not damaged. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were not damaged. The stabilizer trim was in the mid trim range which equated to normal flight trim range. The tail support cable was intact and not damaged. The tail wheel was in the retracted position.

The left wing remained attached to the spar yoke and the root tube assembly. The leading edge spar of the left wing was not damaged. The sheet metal cuff was damaged. The trailing edge wing spar was intact and not damaged. The upper and lower wing fabric was damaged. The forward and aft wing strut remained attached to the fuselage and the wing. The main float support tube with float assembly remained attached to the wing. The left flap remained attached to its attachment points and was not damaged. The position of the left flap was not determined. The left aileron remained attached to its attachment points and was not damaged.

The airplane was recovered to a hangar maintained by the Winter Haven Police Department and secured pending examination of the engine assembly by the manufacture under the supervision of an FAA inspector.

Examination of the engine was conducted on August 4, 2010. After draining the oil from the block, the lower spark plugs were removed and the cylinders were drained of water. With the spark plugs removed the engine was rotated by hand by turning the propeller. Compression and suction was obtained on all cylinders and water was ejected from the cylinders with force. Continuity of the crankshaft was confirmed to the rear accessory gears and to the valve train.

Oil was inserted into each cylinder for preservation of the engine. The sparkplugs were reinstalled to prevent loss or further contamination. The visual examination revealed no anomalies that prevented the engine from being removed for a test run. The engine was removed and transported to an authorized repair center for an engine run on August 17, 2010.

The engine exhibited damage to the electronic waste gate control to the servo motor and the waste gate cable. The inlet air hose from the turbo and the air box were removed as well as the electronic control wiring. The turbocharger was free of damage and had residual water and oil accumulated in the inlet air section which was removed by syringe. The turbo shaft was free and would spin without any contact with the housing. The waste gate lever was free and without jamming or sticking.

The engine was connected to the engine test bed and all required components were connected. The engine was started using the electric starter motor. The idle was maintained at 2,000 rpm or more to warm the oil and to maintain a visual lookout for leakage of any fuel, water, water, or oil. Once the engine reached an oil operational temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine was shut down for visual inspection before initiating a power run.

The engine was restarted and ran at 4,000 rpm. The oil pressure was normal at 45 to 50 psi. A magneto test was performed on system A and the magneto dropped 1,000 rpm. The magneto test was repeated on system A and B and varied between 150 to 300 rpm. When on both ignitions the engine ran as normal. The engine was increased from 4,000 rpm to 4, 500 rpm, but failed to reach 5,000 rpm, stopping at 4,900 rpm. There were no mechanical or electrical problems with the engine noted during the engine run or examination.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Florida District 10 Medical Examiner’s Office, Winter Haven, Florida, performed a postmortem examination of the pilot on August 3, 2010. The cause of death was determined to be "blunt impact to head and torso." The Bioaeronautical Research Sciences Laboratory, FAA, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed postmortem toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot. The specimens were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, basic, acidic, and neutral drugs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Review of the Sea Rey Performance and Specifications indicated that with a Rotax 914 engine installed, with one pilot, the stall speed was 38 mph. Sea Ray stated in a notice, "The above performance specifications were derived from flight testing in several factory built Sea Reyes which were expertly built and rigged and were flown in perfect conditions by a highly experienced Sea Rey pilot."

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed on approach for landing, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin and collision with water.