Amateur-built SEAREY accident near Polk City, Florida, April 11, 2013
On April 11, 2013 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SEAREY, registered N92319, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (into takeoff position) near Polk City, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent encounter with the water wake from a larger amphibious airplane before takeoff and the pilot's subsequent inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane during which he failed to note damage caused by the wake encounter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2013 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Polk City, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEAREY
- Registration
- N92319 · registry record · serial 1DK109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he taxied the amphibious airplane down a boat ramp following a vintage twin-engine amphibious airplane that weighed more than 6,000 pounds. The other airplane took off, and the accident airplane then encountered a 2- to 3-foot water wake. The pilot "quartered" his airplane into the wake, and, subsequently, the right side pitched up, and the left side pitched down. The pilot then looked at the left horizontal stabilizer via a mirror on the airplane's left wing strut, conducted a full flight control check, and noted no anomalies. The pilot then began the takeoff, and the airplane bounced once along the choppy water surface before becoming airborne. Once airborne, the pilot noted pitch control problems and was not able to level the airplane until it reached about 1,800 feet. He was then able to descend the airplane at a rate of about 50 feet per minute by maintaining airspeed just above stall. The pilot circled the lake six times before being able to land. Upon landing, the right wing bounced twice, and, during the second bounce, the right horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged when it dragged through the water. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a broken outboard left horizontal stabilizer tube that likely broke during the wake encounter. The examination also revealed that the bolt connecting three stabilizer cables had torn into the fabric, which likely resulted in the control stick binding in a pitch-up position upon rotation.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi (into takeoff position) defining event
- Aircraft structural failure during taxi (into takeoff position)
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Flight control sys malf/fail during initial climb
- Aircraft structural failure during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Horiz stab misc structure › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Horiz stab misc structure › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 430 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 2012; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 550 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Polk City FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3FD4 Groveland FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from LAL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA13LA198.