Clamar Floats CA-4 N434JC

Summary

On 3 June 2011 at about 19:30 local time, a Clamar Floats CA-4 registered N434JC, operated by Clamar Floats INC, was involved in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 2011 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Merritt Island, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Merritt Island Airport (COI)

Coordinates

28.3414, -80.6853

Aircraft

Clamar Floats CA-4

Registration

N434JC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Clamar Floats INC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merritt Island → Merritt Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11LA325

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination could not be performed before the airplane was disassembled.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the experimental amateur-built amphibian airplane's first water takeoff, the engine began to lose manifold pressure. The airplane stopped climbing, and, as the engine continued to lose power, the pilot initiated a turn and prepared for a forced landing on the water. Although the pilot attempted to flare for landing, the airplane landed hard in a left wing-low attitude. The left float separated from the airplane, the right float folded upward, and the airplane sank. The airplane was recovered from the water, and a postaccident examination was scheduled. However, despite clear instructions not to disassemble the airplane before the examination, the owner proceeded to do so. As a result, any evidence of a preimpact mechanical anomaly was compromised, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. The pilot, who had been hired by the owner to fly the airplane during its first 40 hours, reported that he had previously made 12 flights in the airplane from a paved runway. He stated that a possible scenario for the power loss was water ingestion by the engine during the takeoff run due to the lack of spray rails installed on the floats and the location of the air intake on a low point of the cowling.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.