Smith Bret B SEAREY accident near Knoxville, TN
On June 6, 2009, a Smith Bret B SEAREY (airplane) was involved in an accident near Knoxville, TN. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 6, 2009
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Aircraft
- Smith Bret B SEAREY · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.929°N, 84.258°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090607X93534
Official records · ERA09LA325
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 6, 2009, about 1744 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Smith Searey, N169GW, was substantially damaged when it impacted Melton Lake, near Knoxville, Tennessee. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The local personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to information provided by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot was providing rides to passengers attending a celebration on Melton Lake. Following a previous uneventful local flight with another passenger, the pilot returned, landed, and the accident passenger boarded. The final moments of the accident flight were captured on video by pleasure boaters on Melton Lake. The video depicted the accident airplane flying, about 200 to 400 feet above the boat, before it proceeded away. The airplane then entered a steep bank, descended steeply, and impacted the water. PERSONNEL INFORMATION According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 4, 2009, and the pilot reported 450 total hours of flight experience on that date. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a dual-seat, single engine, amateur-built amphibious seaplane. According to FAA records, the airplane was built and owned by the pilot, and was completed in 2001. No maintenance records were
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent.
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Browse: Tennessee
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
