Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Key West, Florida 33040
Friday, March 18, 1994 11:43 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHTCREW HAD COMPLETED A 14 CFR PART 135 CHARTER FLIGHT AND HAD LANDED IN THE HARBOR AT KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THEY HAD MOORED THE SEAPLANE AND DEPARTED. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, THEY REBOARDED THE SEAPLANE TO FLY IT TO AN AIRPORT FOR REFUELING, THEN TO RETURN TO THE HARBOR TO BOARD THE PASSENGERS. DURING TAKEOFF, THE SEAPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO PITCH NOSE UP, ROLL LEFT, AND CRASH NOSE DOWN IN THE HARBOR. DUE TO THE DAMAGE DONE BY TIDAL FLOW AND RECOVERY ATTEMPTS, THE EXACT CONDITION OF THE AFT BILGE DRAIN PLUGS WAS UNKNOWN. DURING A CHECK OF THE CVR RECORDING, THE CREW WAS NOT HEARD TO CALL OUT THE BILGE PUMPS DURING THE BEFORE-TAKEOFF CHECKLIST. AFTER LIFT-OFF, BOTH PILOTS MADE COMMENTS ABOUT KEEPING THE NOSE DOWN DUE TO WATER IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO ASSURE THE BILGES WERE ADEQUATELY PUMPED FREE OF WATER (ADEQUATELY PREFLIGHTED), WHICH RESULTED IN THE AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT TO BE EXCEEDED, AND FAILURE OF THE AIRCREW TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE WATER LEAK.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/18/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1143 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | KEY WEST |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33040 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EYW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 683 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 18 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N150FB |
| NTSB Number | MIA94FA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN |
| Aircraft Model | G-73T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | G-73T |
| Aircraft Serial Number | J-51 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 14000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 19 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 2 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 201 |
| Airframe Hours | 17119 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FLYING BOAT INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 750 SW 34TH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | FT. LAUDERDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33315 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CHALKS INT'L AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 750 SW 34TH STREET |
| Operator City | FT. LAUDERDALE |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 33315 |
| Operator Code | CHAL |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1143 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |