Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Maine
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N221EZ
Accident Number: ERA18LA204
Date & Time: 07/29/2018, 1205 EDT
Registration: N221EZ
Aircraft: Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On July 29, 2018, at 1205 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built SeaRey amphibious airplane, N221EZ, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees then water while attempting to land on the Connecticut River, near Haverhill, New Hampshire. The private pilot/registered owner and the passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight originated from the river about 1200.
The pilot stated that he had made two successful water landings on the Connecticut River and was preparing to make a third landing up-river to join a friend who had already landed and beached his SeaRey. After takeoff, he initiated a right 180° turn before making a left "teardrop" (beyond 180°) turn over a flat cornfield to make a 45° re-entry to the river at an altitude of 50 ft above ground level. When the airplane crossed over the shoreline, the pilot attempted to turn left and line up with the river, but the control stick would not move past the vertical position. The airplane would not turn and was approaching 60-ft-tall trees on the opposite side of the river. The pilot added power, but the airplane was unable to out climb the trees and collided with them at a speed of about 70 knots. The airplane then descended in a nose down left-wing low attitude, into the river. The pilot said that he would normally climb above the surrounding terrain before coming back into land; however, during this flight, he did not give himself an "out" in case of an emergency.
The passenger stated they had made a left hand turn over the corn field at "tree top height" when the pilot attempted to make another left hand turn to line up with the "very winding" river. As the pilot initiated the turn, the passenger saw trees ahead of them and told the pilot to, "pull up, pull up!" The pilot was "struggling" with the control stick and was unable to pull up and clear the trees. The airplane clipped the tops of the trees and impacted the river in a left nose down attitude.
The airplane came to rest upright and partially submerged in shallow water in the Connecticut River. The width of the river was about 100 ft wide and lined with trees on both sides.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed both wings had been removed during recovery, but the flight controls moved freely when manually manipulated. The pilot said that he thought his ADS-B component, which was attached to the control panel via a suction cup, may have come loose during the flight and got caught under the flight control assembly, thus jamming the controls. He demonstrated how it was possible for this to occur; however, neither he nor the passenger could confirm this actually happened. Examination of the ADS-B component did not reveal any physical damage.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He also held a sport pilot certificate; however, a review of his logbook by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector revealed that he was not endorsed for Light Sport single-engine sea airplanes. The pilot's last FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on December 20, 2017. He reported a total of 760 flight hours; of which, 498 hours were in the accident airplane.
At 1100, weather at LCI was reported as wind from 290° at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft, temperature 81° F, dew point 75° F, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private; Sport Pilot
Age: 61, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s):None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 12/20/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/23/2017
Flight Time: 760 hours (Total, all aircraft), 498 hours (Total, this make and model), 700 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 20.9 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 13.5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Progressive Aerodyne
Registration: N221EZ
Model/Series: SEAREY No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: ID403C
Landing Gear Type: Amphibian; Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 08/15/2017, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1430 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 83 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 735.5 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: 914ULS
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 115 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LCI, 545 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 40 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1100 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 150°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 4000 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 6 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 290°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.04 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 24°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; Unknown Obscuration
Departure Point: HAVERHILL, NH
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: HAVERHILL, NH
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1200 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 44.000000, -72.000000 (est)
Location: HAVERHILL, NH
Accident Number: ERA18LA204
Date & Time: 07/29/2018, 1205 EDT
Registration: N221EZ
Aircraft: Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On July 29, 2018, at 1205 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built SeaRey amphibious airplane, N221EZ, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a tree then water while attempting to land on the Connecticut River, near Haverhill, New Hampshire. The private pilot/registered owner and the passenger were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated at the Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI), Laconia, New Hampshire, about 1100.
The pilot stated that he had made two successful water landings on the river and was preparing to make a third landing up-river to join a friend who had already landed and beached his SeaRey. After he took off, the pilot initiated a left "teardrop" turn over a flat cornfield to make a 45° re-entry to the river at an altitude of 50 ft above ground level. The airplane had crossed over the shoreline, when the pilot attempted to turn left and line up with the river; however, the control stick would not move past the vertical position. The airplane would not turn, and was approaching 60-foot-tall trees on the opposite bank of the river. The pilot added power, but the airplane collided with a tree, and impacted the river in a nose down left-wing low attitude.
The airplane was retained for further investigation.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His last Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate was issued on December 20, 2017. The pilot reported a total of 760 flight hours; of which, 498 hours were in the accident airplane.
At 1100, weather at LCI was reported as wind from 290° at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft, temperature 81° F, dew point 75° F, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Progressive Aerodyne
Registration: N221EZ
Model/Series: SEAREY No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LCI, 545 ft msl
Observation Time: 1100 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 40 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 24°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 4000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 290°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.04 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Laconia, NH (LCI)
Destination: Haverhill, NH (None)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 44.000000, -72.000000 (est)
HAVERHILL — Two people were injured — one seriously — Sunday afternoon when the small plane they were flying in crashed into the Connecticut River.
A SeaRey aircraft crashed Sunday around 12:36 p.m. on the Connecticut River near Haverhill with two people on board, Rick Breitenfeldt, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. According to a company website, a SeaRey is described as “an American two-seat, single-engine, amphibious flying boat.”
The FAA is investigating the crash, Breitenfeldt said.
According to New Hampshire State Police, the aircraft was carrying one pilot and one passenger, who were both injured. One occupant was transported by helicopter to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with serious injuries, but was in stable condition Sunday night. The other occupant was transported by ambulance to Cottage Hospital in Woodsville.
The plane came down near the Harkdale dairy farm in Newbury, Vt., just across the Connecticut River from Haverhill. Mary Carson owns and operates the farm with her husband Russell.
“Russell was outside working when he told me he heard two small planes fly over,” said Mary Carson. “They both tried to land in the river. One didn’t make it.”
Carson said the DHART helicopter landed in one of her farm’s pastures to pick up one of the crash victims.
“Planes like this have tried to land on the river before,” said Carson. “This time, it didn’t work.”
Staci Huckins of Troy said she was part of a 24 mile paddling trip along the Connecticut River, going from Monroe to Haverhill, when the crash occurred.
“We were all right there when the plane crashed on the other side of the peninsula from us,” Huckins posted on Facebook. “We knew it crashed as soon as it happened. I really hope both people in the plane are going to be ok.”
State police said a pilot traveling in a similar aircraft and a tour helicopter from the nearby Haverhill Fair, along with Newbury, Vermont fire personnel and Vermont state police provided assistance at the scene.
Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to contact Trooper Alex Peplinski at 603-227-0076 or alex.peplinski@dos.nh.gov.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.unionleader.com
HAVERHILL, N.H. — A small plane crashed in the Connecticut River Sunday afternoon, injuring two people.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Searey aircraft crashed at 1:20 p.m. in the river near Haverhill.
Authorities said the pilot was trying to land in the river, but crashed.
New Hampshire Fish and Game said that the two people on board were removed from the plane.
One of them was taken by helicopter to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center with serious injuries. That person is currently in stable condition.
The other occupant was brought by ambulance to Cottage Hospital in Woodsville.
The plane is currently at Harkdale Farm on the Newbury, Vermont, side of the river. The owner of the farm told News 9 his father was clearing the fields when the plane went down.
"We had no clue what was going on,” said Steve Carson of Newbury.
Carson was taking a lunch break and said he never heard or saw the plane come down.
"First responder trucks, state troopers and an ambulance screamed down the road and headed down to the meadow,” he said.
Carson's dad was working in the fields by the river and he thought maybe something happened to him.
But he never expected to come across the mangled mess of a plane wreck.
"He just heard something thud, is what he said. He didn't see much, and he continued on to another part of the field,” Carson said of his dad.
The farm owner said the plane will remain on his property overnight and will be retrieved Monday.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.wmur.com
NEWBURY, Vt. (WCAX) Police are investigating a single engine plane crash, into the Connecticut River, that sent two people to the hospital. Witnesses say the crash happened around noon on Sunday near a farm just off of Route 5 in Newbury.
Police say the amphibious experimental aircraft was attempting to land in the river at the time of the crash. Two people were on board.
One of the victims was transported by a DHART helicopter and the other was transported on the ground. The names of the two people involved have not been released. The person with more serious injuries was last listed in stable condition.
New Hampshire State Police are investigating the incident because the plane crash happened in the Connecticut River which is New Hampshire jurisdiction.
"I was finishing up my lunch and i heard the planes," said the farm's owner Russell Carson. "I heard the engine and all the sudden there was a thud. Then the first thing I saw was a helicopter trying to find something in the river, he was flying over the river real low."
A pilot traveling in a similar aircraft and a tour helicopter from the nearby Haverhill Fair, along with the Newbury Fire Department and Vermont State Police provided assistance at the scene.
At this time we are still waiting for additional information on how the plane crash occurred. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.wcax.com
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