A lake colonial skimmer was operated with the floats removed in violation of the type certificate.

Attributes
ACN	377710
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Lake Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	377710
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

One of the aircraft's wing floats was damaged in a previous water takeoff when the aircraft got into some rough water. After inspecting for structural damage, the aircraft was flown back to home base. The wing floats were removed for repair. Knowing that the wing floats sat right on the center of gravity of the aircraft and hearing from other 'lake flyers' that take their wing floats off during the northern winter, I decided to fly the aircraft in this confign. I now know this is a violation of the type certificate issued to this aircraft. I think a contributing factor to this violation was that I both fly and maintain this aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a lake colonial skimmer series C1 and the floats were removed by the reporter. The reporter advised of not being aware of violating the type certificate by operating the aircraft without floats.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LAKE COLONIAL SKIMMER WAS OPERATED WITH THE FLOATS REMOVED IN VIOLATION OF THE TYPE CERTIFICATE.

Narrative: ONE OF THE ACFT'S WING FLOATS WAS DAMAGED IN A PREVIOUS WATER TKOF WHEN THE ACFT GOT INTO SOME ROUGH WATER. AFTER INSPECTING FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, THE ACFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO HOME BASE. THE WING FLOATS WERE REMOVED FOR REPAIR. KNOWING THAT THE WING FLOATS SAT RIGHT ON THE CTR OF GRAVITY OF THE ACFT AND HEARING FROM OTHER 'LAKE FLYERS' THAT TAKE THEIR WING FLOATS OFF DURING THE NORTHERN WINTER, I DECIDED TO FLY THE ACFT IN THIS CONFIGN. I NOW KNOW THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE TYPE CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO THIS ACFT. I THINK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS VIOLATION WAS THAT I BOTH FLY AND MAINTAIN THIS ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A LAKE COLONIAL SKIMMER SERIES C1 AND THE FLOATS WERE REMOVED BY THE RPTR. THE RPTR ADVISED OF NOT BEING AWARE OF VIOLATING THE TYPE CERTIFICATE BY OPERATING THE ACFT WITHOUT FLOATS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.