Pilot Crashes Into Lake, goes home without telling anyone

rk911

rk911

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A 78-year-old Antioch man escaped injury Monday when his ultralight/sea plane crashed in a southeastern Wisconsin lake -- and he waded out and just went home, authorities said Tuesday.

Pilot Donald Fechtner was attempting a "touch and go" maneuver on Camp Lake -- touching the water with the plane, proceeding on the water and taking off again -- when the hull of the plane broke apart, according to the Kenosha County sheriff's department, which responded to the crash about 6:17 p.m. Monday. The lake is about 4 miles northwest of Antioch.

Fechter was able to walk out of the lake on his own, authorities said, and a person who lives along the shore drove him home.

Kenosha Sheriff David Beth says a woman walking her dog saw the wreckage in Camp Lake late Monday and called authorities, the Associated Press reported. Fire and rescue units from the Wisconsin towns of Salem Lakes, Bristol and Somers, along with the county dive team, responded to look for a possible victim.

Beth said that after the rescuers found no body, officials tracked the pilot down at his home in Antioch, several hours later, via phone numbers found in the aircraft.

"We're just glad he's OK," Sgt. Mark Malecki told the Kenosha News, although he said it would have been nice to be notified by either Fechtner or the witness who gave him a ride home.

Fechtner planned to return to the lake Tuesday morning to remove the plane, according to the sheriff's department. Fechtner could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. The sheriff's department is not recommending criminal charges, officials said.
 
I hope it never happens to me but I’d like to think I might handle a survivable crash the same way. Kind of like “oh, I just crashed? meh, lemme get home to watch some sports center.”
 
One must ask themself before passing judgement or making it sound like the pilot did anything wrong this question: are ultralight pilots bound by the reporting requirements of NTSB Part 830?
 
Doesn’t being submerged in a lake count as the aircraft receives substantial damage for an 8130 report? Did he figure he’d just dry it off and it would be good as new?
 
The reporting requirement allows more than a few hours. Perhaps he was getting his wits together before reporting.
 
JScarry said:
Doesn’t being submerged in a lake count as the aircraft receives substantial damage for an 8130 report? Did he figure he’d just dry it off and it would be good as new?
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I think you mean an 8020 report?
 
If the aircraft or "vehicle" has an N number then initial notification should be made to the NTSB 24hr line. Within 10 days a Form 6120 should be filled out and sent in. I didn't say "must" but it is in the owner/operators best interests to do so. And if it's not registered then that just adds to the fun.
 
eman1200 said:
I hope it never happens to me but I’d like to think I might handle a survivable crash the same way. Kind of like “oh, I just crashed? meh, lemme get home to watch some sports center.”
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You joke about that, but that's kinda how it went for our guy here recently in Randolph. Parked that thing nose first by the mall, both came down under canopy, dusted off and went up to the road to hitch a ride. Knowing the USAF, they probably didn't even get the squadron to issue a new flight suit.....LOL.
 
SkyDog58 said:
are ultralight pilots bound by the reporting requirements of NTSB Part 830?
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Negative. Ultralights are aerial "vehicles" not aircraft and the last unregulated wild west of the skies. Part 103 that governs Ultralight is a whopping two pages long

If it has an airworthiness certificate and/or registered N Number then it falls under light sport regulations
 
Shawn said:
Negative. Ultralights are aerial "vehicles" not aircraft and the last unregulated wild west of the skies. Part 103 that governs Ultralight is a whopping two pages long

If it has an airworthiness certificate and/or registered N Number then it falls under light sport regulations
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Correct and my question was mostly rhetorical.
 
Reminds me of a story recently of another gentleman that crashed his single engine plane in a field outside of town on a way to an important meeting. Left the plane and hitchhiked into town for his meeting. Cops got called when someone noticed the busted up airplane but no occupants. If I remember correctly, he later just showed back up at the crash site.
 
Someone told me a guy ran out of fuel, and put his plane down on a road. Wing hit a sign that said end of road (1/4 mile or something like that). He got a ride to his house, hooked up a trailer to his truck and went back after his plane. Took wings off and loaded it all on the trailer. Stuck it in his garage and never told the Feds.

That was about 20 years ago, I never found out who it was. But I do believe what the fellow told me, he was a very honest fellow.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Reminds me of a story recently of another gentleman that crashed his single engine plane in a field outside of town on a way to an important meeting. Left the plane and hitchhiked into town for his meeting. Cops got called when someone noticed the busted up airplane but no occupants. If I remember correctly, he later just showed back up at the crash site.
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If you are talking about the guy I’m thinking of... he did this more than once...
 
Ryanb said:
I think you mean an 8020 report?
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CFR Part 830 contains the definition of accident and when you are required to notify the NTSB. He must "preserve the wreckage" and "shall immediately, and by the most expeditious means available, notify the nearest National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) office." He has 10 days to file a 6120 form.
 
I grew up in Alaska. Learned to fly at 16. Like most everyone else there I did quite a bit of bush flying. Sandbars, beaches, rough, short, strips. Saw a lot of wrecked airplanes over the years. Not many 6120 ?? forms filed... if no one was hurt seriously … why get the bureaucrats out from behind their desks …? :)
 
JScarry said:
CFR Part 830 contains the definition of accident and when you are required to notify the NTSB. He must "preserve the wreckage" and "shall immediately, and by the most expeditious means available, notify the nearest National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) office." He has 10 days to file a 6120 form.
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Does that apply to ultralights, or only to aircraft?
 
Hank S said:
Does that apply to ultralights, or only to aircraft?
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From 14 CFR §1.1 Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air.

From NTSB §830.2 Aircraft accident means an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft…

And there is a whole section, PART 103, regulating them, so yeah, it applies to ultralights.
 
One thing I have noticed in life as people get "older" they tend not to give less and less of a crap about a lot of things. Dude was 78 walked away from a plane crash caught a ride home and was planning to come back and take care of it "tomorrow". If that is the whole story sorry but nothing but respect for that. I hope I am still alive and flying at that age.
 
JScarry said:
From 14 CFR §1.1 Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air.

From NTSB §830.2 Aircraft accident means an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft…

And there is a whole section, PART 103, regulating them, so yeah, it applies to ultralights.
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Well...

If you read Part 103, it is clear that ultralights are considered vehicles and not aircraft, the definition in Part 1.1 notwithstanding.

Also FAA Order 8020.11D states in relation to ultralights:

Ultralight Vehicles. The NTSB does not investigate unregistered ultralight vehicles as defined under 14 CFR §103. The FAA’s involvement is to determine the category and classification of the vehicle (an ultralight is an unregistered, single-occupant vehicle, not requiring an airworthiness certificate). While the FAA also will not normally investigate unregistered ultralight vehicle accidents or compile an accident or incident report, the FAA does have the responsibility to determine if the particular operation was in compliance with 14 CFR and if there was any aviation safety impact which requires corrective action. For example, if a conflict with other aircraft operations existed over a congested area, or if a fatality resulted from an ultralight operation, these factors may indicate violations of 14 CFR and necessitate an on-scene investigation to document areas of noncompliance. Additionally, if widespread accident publicity is anticipated, the AVP-100 duty officer should be advised of the event immediately.

And the aeronautical knowledge requirement that requires knowledge of the NTSB reporting requirements is in Part 61. Since there are no pilot certification requirements to operate an ultralight, there can be no expectation to possess that knowledge.

And finally Part 91.1 (e) states: (e) This part does not apply to any aircraft or vehicle governed by part 103 of this chapter, or subparts B, C, or D of part 101 of this chapter.
So obviously the operation of an ultralight is not being held to the General Operating & Flight Rules that aircraft and their pilots are held to.

But believe what you want.
 
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AKBill said:
That was about 20 years ago, I never found out who it was. But I do believe what the fellow told me, he was a very honest fellow.
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Man you need to find out! Might be a cool “barn find”, like a Cub. :D
 
Wasn't there an Aerostar that was landing gear up and the guy fire walled it, got it off the ground and flying, then flew it home, parked it in the hanger and put it up for sale noting slight prop damage.??

Yep, here it is. A botched go around says the pilot. Says the video didn't catch him retracting the gear for a go around.

Funny, listening to the video you can hear the engines rev up after it had slid at least a 100 yards on the run way.

 
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