What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The airman departed from the sky harbor seaplane base (9Y5), eveleth, MN, at approximately 1300 central standard time (CST). The airman recalled that the frozen lake's surface was quite rough due to rutted vehicle and snowmobile tracks, causing the aircraft to be harshly shaken during takeoff. The airman flew to and landed on mcquade lake, Hibbing, MN (hib 335/8NM). Upon touchdown, the airman experienced a grinding noise from the left side of the aircraft, which was the left axle contacting the ice. The subsequent drag caused the aircraft to tip up onto its nose. This caused undue stress upon the right ski, causing it to buckle, allowing the right wing to contact the frozen surface. The aircraft then overturned, coming to rest on its back. The airman escaped from the aircraft without injury. It is hypothesized that the left ski, or one of its subcomponents, was damaged during takeoff from eveleth, MN on the rough, frozen lake. This allowed the left ski to rotate on the axle and become inverted after takeoff, so on landing, the inverted left ski caused significant drag, eventually overturning the aircraft. One witness did observe the aircraft in flight prior to the accident, with the left ski hanging awkwardly.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRMAN DEPARTED FROM THE SKY HARBOR SEAPLANE BASE (9Y5), EVELETH, MN, AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST). THE AIRMAN RECALLED THAT THE FROZEN LAKE'S SURFACE WAS QUITE ROUGH DUE TO RUTTED VEHICLE AND SNOWMOBILE TRACKS, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BE HARSHLY SHAKEN DURING TAKEOFF. THE AIRMAN FLEW TO AND LANDED ON MCQUADE LAKE, HIBBING, MN (HIB 335/8NM). UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED A GRINDING NOISE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS THE LEFT AXLE CONTACTING THE ICE. THE SUBSEQUENT DRAG CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP UP ONTO ITS NOSE. THIS CAUSED UNDUE STRESS UPON THE RIGHT SKI, CAUSING IT TO BUCKLE, ALLOWING THE RIGHT WING TO CONTACT THE FROZEN SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN OVERTURNED, COMING TO REST ON ITS BACK. THE AIRMAN ESCAPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE LEFT SKI, OR ONE OF ITS SUBCOMPONENTS, WAS DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF FROM EVELETH, MN ON THE ROUGH, FROZEN LAKE. THIS ALLOWED THE LEFT SKI TO ROTATE ON THE AXLE AND BECOME INVERTED AFTER TAKEOFF, SO ON LANDING, THE INVERTED LEFT SKI CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DRAG, EVENTUALLY OVERTURNING THE AIRCRAFT. ONE WITNESS DID OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITH THE LEFT SKI HANGING AWKWARDLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.