Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Weirsdale, Florida 32195
Thursday, February 20, 2003 14:06 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After departure the flight proceeded to Lake Weir where a witness who observed the airplane on approach to land on the lake reported the approach was smooth. He further reported that the airplane, "bump once on water then nose dove." A pilot-rated individual who was on-scene an estimated 10 minutes after the accident reported the water surface conditions as "glassy", "placid" and "...very little surface ripples or waves." The airplane submerged and came to rest inverted in about 13 feet of water. The engine with attached propeller separated from the airfame, but was recovered along with the wreckage. The engine with attached propeller was placed on a test stand, started, and found to develope full static rpm; no discrepancies were noted. Examination of the airplane revealed the landing gear was retracted, and no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls for roll, pitch, or yaw was noted. The on-board electronic tachometer was retained for readout which revealed the last recorded rpm was 2,600, which occurred sometime within 3 minutes of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadequate flare by the pilot-in-command on the calm water resulting in the in-flight collision with the water and subsequent nose over.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/20/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1406 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Weirsdale |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32195 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 290009N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0815607W |
| 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 | 1355 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KOCF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 89 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17335 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Marion County Sheriff Departme |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 20 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1502 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2005 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando, FL |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N811JG |
| NTSB Number | MIA03FA065 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerofab, Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | Lake 250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 113 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3050 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 22 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 1116.9 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jack E. Gilson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3681 Wabeek Lake Drive, West |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bloomfield Hills |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48302 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FD04 |
| Departure City | Ocala |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1351 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Weirsdale |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |