Amateur-built Volmer Sportsman accident near Grand Prarie, Texas, September 23, 2004
On September 23, 2004 at about 1:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Volmer Sportsman, registered N70HR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Prarie, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to complete a pre-landing checklist, which resulted in a gear down landing on the water. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention as a result of abnormal engine indications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2004 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Prarie, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Volmer Sportsman
- Registration
- N70HR · no longer on the register · serial CJ-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A 15,540-hour pilot reported that during an approach to land his amphibian experimental airplane on a lake, he noticed that the oil temperature gauge read excessively high and the oil pressure gauge read excessively low. Distracted by these indications and other factors, the pilot failed to complete his pre-landing checklist. The airplane touched down in the water with the landing gear extended, which resulted in a nose-over. The airplane came to rest inverted and submerged in the water.
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 instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,540 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 600 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin Sport 4 R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4T6 Midlothian TX
- Destination: Grand Prarie TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:25 pm from GPM, 5 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.