20200603007799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Icon A5 · Duluth, MN · June 3, 2020

Date: June 3, 2020 · 16:40 local
Place: Duluth, MN
Airport: Sky Harbor Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N838BA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20LA207
Reported as: Icon A5
Reported engine: ROTAX 912 IS
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,741 total85 in this make and model73 in the last 90 days

N838BARegistered now · Icon A5S/N 00114 Airframe modelIcon A5 Engine modelRotax 912 IS series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot reported that he water taxied for preparation for take-off as he added power he heard a loud thud, felt a very strong vibration and lost forward thrust, noticed water coming in activated the bilge pump donned their life vests and swam for a pontoon boat that came to help. The aircraft was towed to the ramp and pulled out of the water. Damage was found on the fuselage below the engine and empennage. A hole was found going through the empennage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WATER TAXIED FOR PREPARATION FOR TAKE-OFF AS HE ADDED POWER HE HEARD A LOUD THUD, FELT A VERY STRONG VIBRATION AND LOST FORWARD THRUST, NOTICED WATER COMING IN ACTIVATED THE BILGE PUMP DONNED THEIR LIFE VESTS AND SWAM FOR A PONTOON BOAT THAT CAME TO HELP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE RAMP AND PULLED OUT OF THE WATER. DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE FUSELAGE BELOW THE ENGINE AND EMPENNAGE. A HOLE WAS FOUND GOING THROUGH THE EMPENNAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN20LA207Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportDuluth, MNThe pilot’s failure to remove an object from the airplane’s exterior, which impacted the propeller blades when he applied full power, causing them to fracture and damage the airplane.Jun 3, 2020 · Substantial damage