Accident Details
On March 22, 2023, about 1648 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18AS, registration N1907A, was substantially damaged in an accident on Crescent Lake in Umatilla, Florida. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he departed from his home base on Crescent Lake to refuel. After landing at Umatilla Airport (X23), he observed a small hydraulic fluid leak on the hand pump of the main landing gear while taxiing for fuel. Following refueling, he departed back to Crescent Lake. During the landing on the lake, he noticed the nose landing gear was not fully retracted. When the nose gear contacted the water, the airplane flipped over and inverted. The pilot reported that the landing gear hand pump had failed to raise the gear as expected, and that an o-ring failure resulted in the pump leaking hydraulic fluid.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the airplane and noted substantial damage to the right wing. Inspection of the landing gear hydraulic system revealed a small amount of hydraulic fluid leaking from the landing gear hand pump, but the leak was not significant enough to deplete the hydraulic system’s fluid. The inspector also identified wear marks on the hand pump shaft, but none that would have resulted in a failure of the pump.
Aircraft Information
According to the float manufacturer, the airplane’s gear selector was equipped with lights indicating landing gear position: four blue lights for gear up, four green lights for gear down, and a single red light for operation of the hydraulic pump. Each gear position had its corresponding light, and the hydraulic pump remained active until all gear components reached their intended positions. The floats did not have locks but included an over-center main gear and a horizontally positioned nose gear system. The eight indicator lights operated independently of the gear hydraulic system.
Maintenance History
A review of the maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection had been conducted about five months before the accident, and no discrepancies were noted regarding the hydraulic system. Additionally, the airplane’s flight manual supplement stated on pages 8, 9, and 13: "Do not land on water unless the gear is fully retracted."