Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Webb, New York 13367
Thursday, September 4, 2014 11:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 4, 2014, about 1105 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built amphibious Searey, N8768B, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged while landing on the Stillwater Reservoir, Webb, New York. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that originated at the Boonville Airport, Boonville, New York. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to records obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was purchased by the pilot through a corporation on March 3, 2014. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912 ULS, 100-horsepower engine and originally issued an airworthiness certificate on July 1, 1997.
According to initial information obtained from an FAA inspector, the pilot was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings on the reservoir. A witness observed the airplane departing from the water and flying overhead before losing sight of it behind trees. The witness stated that the airplane sounded as if it was approaching for another landing and she heard a series of engine "sputters and roars" followed by silence; however, she did not associate the sounds with an airplane accident. The airplane was subsequently located submerged in the water. The canopy was completely fractured and the airframe around the forward portion of the canopy was substantially damaged.
Initial examination of the airframe and engine by an FAA inspector did not reveal evidence of any obvious catastrophic failures. The wreckage was retained for further examination to be performed at a later date.
The pilot reported 3,100 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA second class medical certificate, which was dated July 3, 2014.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/4/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1105 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Webb |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 13367 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 435527N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0745433W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 205 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RME |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 519 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 50 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.15 |
| 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) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 15 2014 3:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8768B |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA423 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCMURRAY DAVID C |
| Aircraft Model | SEAREY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | MK011 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1250 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Sierra Bravo Aircraft Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHERRILL |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 13461 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Schiele A. Brewer |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SHERRILL |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 13461 |
| 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 | 1NK7 |
| Departure City | BOONVILLE |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Webb |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 15 2014 3:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |