NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On May 24, 2014 about 1650 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur built, Searey LSX amphibious airplane, N249PW, sustained substantial damage during takeoff at Banks Lake, about 5 miles southwest of Electric City, Washington. The airplane was owned and being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the solo pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was departing Banks Lake bound for Lake Washington, near Seattle, Washington.

On May 25, witnesses at Banks Lake told the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) that the airplane had arrived at Banks Lake on Thursday, May 22. After landing the pilot had lowered the land wheels with the intent to taxi the airplane on to a beach. Approaching the beach the left main landing gear wheel struck a submerged berm damaging the landing gear and its supporting structure. The pilot, who was authorized to perform maintenance on the airplane, spent the next several days making temporary repairs, which included tying the damaged left landing gear leg, up to the left wing lift strut, and repairing a leaking through hull boot with tape.

After completing the repairs, the pilot attempted to takeoff from the lake.

On May 26, an additional witness told the NTSB IIC that he was on the lake fishing from his boat, when he heard and saw the airplane attempt to takeoff. He said the airplane started a high speed run but then the engine throttled back and the airplane turned toward the beach; as if returning to the beach. Then the airplane abruptly turned 180 degrees and started another high speed run. He said the water was choppy with the addition of numerous boat wakes. He said he thought the airplane was going 40-50 miles per hour when it encountered boat wake, the airplane bounced 4-5 feet in the air and then abruptly nosed down into the lake. The airplane came to an abrupt stop with a 20-30 foot high splash. The witness headed his boat toward the airplane. When he arrived the airplane's high wings were level with the surface of the water, and the pylon mounted engine was still running. Another boat had arrived prior to his, and swimmers were in the water attempting to recover the pilot from the submerged cabin.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The 60 year old pilot held a Private Pilot Certificate with ratings for; Airplane Single Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, Instrument Airplane, and Repairman Experimental Aircraft Builder. No personal flight logbooks were discovered for the pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed was obtained from a review of the pilot's FAA records on file at the Airman and Medical Records Center in Oklahoma City.

During his last FAA medical examination dated 7/18/2013 the pilot reported his flight experience included 861.3 total hours of flight experience, with 15.1 hours having been flown within the previous 6 months. The pilot was issued a Class 3, Limited Medical Certificate, with the stipulation that he must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was an experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped, high wing, amphibious Searey LSX, with a full flotation hull and retractable main landing gear. The airplane was powered by an aft-facing, pylon mounted Rotax 914 series engine, with a three-bladed composite pusher propeller.

No Airframe or engine logbooks were discovered for examination.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The weather at the time of the accident was above basic visual flight rules minimums, and not considered a factor in this accident.

COMMUNICATIONS

A pilot friend, and a family member of the pilot, were observing the takeoff from a beach at the lake, and were in communication with the pilot via a handheld aviation communication radio. Their last communication with the pilot was to inform him that the airplane looked lower in the water than usual, and requested him to return to the beach. The airplane then turned toward the beach and appeared to be returning at a normal water taxi speed. Without further radio communication, the airplane abruptly turned away from the beach, added takeoff power, and made the final takeoff attempt.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane was observed and photographed by witnesses (boaters) before, during, and after the accident. The only wreckage of the airplane recovered from the lake was a section about 6 feet long, and 4 feet wide. The section was of the composite hull bottom, from the aft hull-step forward, and appeared to have separated along the bottom to side joint.

Photographs provided to the NTSB IIC by witnesses included, preaccident photos of the airplane at the beach undergoing repairs from the previous water taxi damage, a photograph of the airplane on the step during the final takeoff attempt, and a photograph of the airplane after impact with the water. In the final photograph the airplane is shown upright, with the high wings laying on the surface of the water, and the cabin area was submerged. The engine appeared intact and in place on the engine pylon. Witnesses reported that the engine was still running as boats approached following the accident. The elevator, vertical stabilizer and rudder appeared intact.

Swimmers cut the submerged pilot free from his harness and brought him to the surface, where he was placed in a boat and taken to a boat ramp where medical help was waiting.

Shortly thereafter the airplane sank in about 50 feet deep water. A subsequent search by local law enforcement using boats and divers, was unable to locate the submerged airplane. The airplane wreckage was not recovered from the lake.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed under the authority of the Grant County Coroner, Moses Lake Washington, on May 2014. The examination determined that the cause of death was attributed to fresh water drowning, a significant finding was blunt force head trauma, and the manner of death was an accident.

Toxicology was performed at the Mike Monroney Aeromedical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on July 1, 2014. No evidence of drugs or other abnormalities were noted.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control during takeoff after encountering a boat wake, which resulted in the airplane bouncing, impacting the water’s surface, and subsequently becoming submerged.