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Float plane crash probe termed 'routine' Federal investigators don't expect their report to amount to much By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT - Federal flight investigators are calling their probe into Sunday's floatplane crash in the upper Rogue River a rather routine investigation. Gary Amidon's single-engine floatplane received severe damage when he crashed it while attempting to land on a shallow stretch of the Rogue just downstream of the Highway 234 crossing at Dodge Bridge. Amidon and his 7-year-old son suffered minor injuries in the 12:47 p.m. wreck, which National Transportation Safety Board investigators on Monday called a routine investigation that will amount to an official report on the crash. "We pretty much consider this a limited investigation," said Debra Eckrote, senior air-safety investigator for the NTSB in Seattle. "We'll get a report on what (Amidon) said and go from there." The crash must be reviewed by air-safety inspectors because federal law requires that all incidents classified as airplane accidents be reported and investigated, Eckrote said. The limited investigation is expected because mechanical issues were not blamed for the crash, Eckrote said. Amidon has a week to file a written account of the crash, and Eckrote's final report likely will be done in 30-45 days, she said. A 47-year-old helicopter mechanic and veteran floatplane pilot, Amidon was planning to land his 1968 Piper floatplane along a flat section of the upper Rogue when the plane's pontoons dug into the water and caused the plane to flip, according to Jackson County Fire District No. 3 officials. A fisherman spotted the wreck and used a cellular telephone to summon rescuers. Amidon carried his son, Joshua, to safety and friends helped Amidon pull the plane from the channel and secure it at a downstream dock. No financial loss was listed on NTSB reports Monday, Eckrote said. Pilots flying floatplanes like this one can land on public waterways, provided they maintain safe clearance from structures as well as any other vessels when operating on water, Eckrote said. Coast Guard navigational rules do not list any specific distances that these planes need to keep from structures and boats, stating only that the seaplanes must "steer well clear" of vessels or objects and not impede boat traffic on waterways. Amidon could not be reached for comment Monday. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.