| Crash location | 35.700000°N, 78.166667°W |
| Nearest city | Sims, NC
35.760990°N, 78.058879°W 7.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N18241 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 08 Oct 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Remos Aircraft Gmbh Remos G-3/ |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported he was flying above the reservoir at 500 feet at approximately thirty minutes before sundown. As he completed a 180 degrees turn, the sun was in his eyes. He put on a cap to block the sun from his eyes, and as he was adjusting the cap, the aircraft impacted the water. The pilot stated he “apparently relaxed the back pressure on the stick enough to lose altitude.” During the impact, the right wing incurred substantial damage. No pre-impact malfunctions were reported by the pilot.
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude, resulting in controlled flight into water.