Lane Progressive Aerodyne, Inc SEAREY accident near Windermere, Florida, July 4, 1998
On July 4, 1998 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Lane Progressive Aerodyne, Inc SEAREY, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N26RL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Windermere, Florida (Lake Down airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate design of the landing gear switch by the builder which allowed an inadvertent activation of the landing gear switch, leading to a gear extension during a water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1998 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Windermere, Florida · Lake Down · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Lane Progressive Aerodyne, Inc SEAREY, amateur-built
- Registration
- N26RL · registry record · serial 1MK045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he completed the landing checklist which included checking for a gear up light and visually ensuring the gear was up. According to the pilot, after touchdown, the seaplane violently dove under the water. According to a witness, the seaplane touched down, skipped on the water, and then nose dived under water. The witness also stated that during the landing, the gear was up. During the rescue, he stated the gear was down. The FAA inspector stated he found the right main landing gear was in a position halfway between up and down, and rotated rearward. The left main gear was in a down and locked position. Examination of the landing gear extension/retraction system did not reveal any abnormalities. The pilot stated that the landing gear switch was designed so a closed guard, where the guard points down, indicated down and locked gear. In order to put the gear down, one could simply touch the guard because it is spring loaded to a down position. The pilot believed that the bouncing on landing could have caused the guard to close.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 1998; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 914 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from ORL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.