Progressive Aerodyne Inc. STINGRAY accident near Lake Tarpon, Florida, June 19, 1998
On June 19, 1998 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Progressive Aerodyne Inc. STINGRAY, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6277K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Tarpon, Florida. 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 insure that the landing gear was in the up-and-locked position prior to the water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1998 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Tarpon, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Progressive Aerodyne Inc. STINGRAY, amateur-built
- Registration
- N6277K · no longer on the register · serial 20K006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings at Lake Tarpon. During the approach for the second touch-and-go, he checked the landing gear handle to insure that it was in the up position, but could not remember the position of the landing gear lock before or after touchdown. Upon landing, the landing gear was unlocked, the airplane nosed down in the water momentarily, and came to rest in an upright position. Examination of the landing gear revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,915 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,807 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 26, 1998; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 720 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 4401101 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from TPA, 13 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.