What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 27, 2017, N1400P, an amphibious aircraft crashed during an attempted takeoff from lake winnebago in Oshkosh WI during the eaa convention. There were three people on board two of which did not survive, including the pilot. Investigation revealed that the pilot failed to properly configure the aircraft for the takeoff, the wing flaps were not lowered to the takeoff position and the elevator trim tab was not set correctly. Additionally, the wind conditions were causing a large amount of water chop likely greater than the recommended take-off limits for the aircraft. Winds were out of the northeast, (040 as reported by Oshkosh at 8 knots), takeoff attempt was made toward the northwest (at 347) which resulted in a crosswind attempt. The attempted take-off run was extremely long almost .7 miles. The aircraft was porpoising during the take-off attempt, eventually pitching nose up causing the tail to strike the water. The aircraft momentarily left the water before stalling with the left wing dropping into the water causing the aircraft to turn hard left and then partially submerge. The passenger in the right seat was able to escape relatively quickly, it took some time for rescue personnel to free the pilot and passenger in the back seat. The aircraft was being operated under CFR part 91 and VMC conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 27, 2017, N1400P, AN AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT CRASHED DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF FROM LAKE WINNEBAGO IN OSHKOSH WI DURING THE EAA CONVENTION. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD TWO OF WHICH DID NOT SURVIVE, INCLUDING THE PILOT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE TAKEOFF, THE WING FLAPS WERE NOT LOWERED TO THE TAKEOFF POSITION AND THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS NOT SET CORRECTLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE WIND CONDITIONS WERE CAUSING A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER CHOP LIKELY GREATER THAN THE RECOMMENDED TAKE-OFF LIMITS FOR THE AIRCRAFT. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST, (040 AS REPORTED BY OSHKOSH AT 8 KNOTS), TAKEOFF ATTEMPT WAS MADE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST (AT 347) WHICH RESULTED IN A CROSSWIND ATTEMPT. THE ATTEMPTED TAKE-OFF RUN WAS EXTREMELY LONG ALMOST .7 MILES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PORPOISING DURING THE TAKE-OFF ATTEMPT, EVENTUALLY PITCHING NOSE UP CAUSING THE TAIL TO STRIKE THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY LEFT THE WATER BEFORE STALLING WITH THE LEFT WING DROPPING INTO THE WATER CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN HARD LEFT AND THEN PARTIALLY SUBMERGE. THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE RELATIVELY QUICKLY, IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR RESCUE PERSONNEL TO FREE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER CFR PART 91 AND VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.