What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2020-05-20 N612R Cessna 172 equipped with floats, flipped inverted while attempting to takeoff from the Surfside sea base on rice lake.
There were two pilots on board, the PIC who was a private pilot ses and a CFI who was also ses. The PIC was the sole manipulator of the controls and planned the flight to go out and get his take off and landing currency as he had not flown a sea plane since the previous year October. Although there was a wind sock present at the lake, the wind reference from the pilots perspective was ATIS from kane/anoka airport. 52 minutes prior to flight, what the pilots were going on, 120/09. 8 minutes after the crash 120/12 reported at kane. Neither pilot could give a reference number to their intial runway on the lake. Map plotting as well as interviews with other pilots at the seabase put the runway at 220. This put the aircraft in a left quartering tailwind position. After approximately a 1000 ft run the aircraft attempted a left turn to avoid weed beds. This turn was planned. Charted it showed to be about a 55 degree left turn. As this left turn was initiated the airplane passed through a direct crosswind and the left wing was lifted causing the right float and right wing to go down into the water and a rolling moment that inverted the aircraft. The water was about 3 feet deep, the right float had mud on it showing penetration into the lake bottom. The right wing cap was completely gone and both wings suffered severe damage. The prop, engine mounts and tail section appeared to be in perfect condition. Both pilots were wearing a standard seatbelt type shoulder harness and were able to unstrap and egress their own doors, meeting up visually and verbally without injury, standing on their respective wings with heads above the water line.
As the FAA filed it
2020-05-20 N612R CESSNA 172 EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS, FLIPPED INVERTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM THE SURFSIDE SEA BASE ON RICE LAKE.
THERE WERE TWO PILOTS ON BOARD, THE PIC WHO WAS A PRIVATE PILOT SES AND A CFI WHO WAS ALSO SES. THE PIC WAS THE SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE CONTROLS AND PLANNED THE FLIGHT TO GO OUT AND GET HIS TAKE OFF AND LANDING CURRENCY AS HE HAD NOT FLOWN A SEA PLANE SINCE THE PREVIOUS YEAR OCTOBER. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A WIND SOCK PRESENT AT THE LAKE, THE WIND REFERENCE FROM THE PILOTS PERSPECTIVE WAS ATIS FROM KANE/ANOKA AIRPORT. 52 MINUTES PRIOR TO FLIGHT, WHAT THE PILOTS WERE GOING ON, 120/09. 8 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH 120/12 REPORTED AT KANE. NEITHER PILOT COULD GIVE A REFERENCE NUMBER TO THEIR INTIAL RUNWAY ON THE LAKE. MAP PLOTTING AS WELL AS INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER PILOTS AT THE SEABASE PUT THE RUNWAY AT 220. THIS PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND POSITION. AFTER APPROXIMATELY A 1000 FT RUN THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A LEFT TURN TO AVOID WEED BEDS. THIS TURN WAS PLANNED. CHARTED IT SHOWED TO BE ABOUT A 55 DEGREE LEFT TURN. AS THIS LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED THE AIRPLANE PASSED THROUGH A DIRECT CROSSWIND AND THE LEFT WING WAS LIFTED CAUSING THE RIGHT FLOAT AND RIGHT WING TO GO DOWN INTO THE WATER AND A ROLLING MOMENT THAT INVERTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE WATER WAS ABOUT 3 FEET DEEP, THE RIGHT FLOAT HAD MUD ON IT SHOWING PENETRATION INTO THE LAKE BOTTOM. THE RIGHT WING CAP WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND BOTH WINGS SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE. THE PROP, ENGINE MOUNTS AND TAIL SECTION APPEARED TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION. BOTH PILOTS WERE WEARING A STANDARD SEATBELT TYPE SHOULDER HARNESS AND WERE ABLE TO UNSTRAP AND EGRESS THEIR OWN DOORS, MEETING UP VISUALLY AND VERBALLY WITHOUT INJURY, STANDING ON THEIR RESPECTIVE WINGS WITH HEADS ABOVE THE WATER LINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.