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20230623007429A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Schulke Tom AVID MAGNUM · Beaver Island, MI · June 23, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 2023 · 10:30 local
Place
Beaver Island, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N103DG
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23FA257
Reported as
Schulke Tom Avid Magnum
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,988 total389 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days
N103DGRegistered now · Schulke Tom AVID MAGNUMS/N 6M · Built 1999Airframe modelSchulke Tom AVID MAGNUMEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

On jun 23, 2023 at approximately 1000 local time, an amphibious float equipped experimental Avid Magnum aircraft,privacy data omitted, registered to a limited liability corporation and operated by a private pilot received substantial damage following an impact with the water surface near whisky Island in lake Michigan 45° 47.83’ n 85° 36.62’ w. visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot received minor injuries and was able to self-egress from the aircraft following the accident. The sole passenger received fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Beaver Island airport (sjx), Beaver Island, Michigan at approximately 0830.

According to the charlevoix county sheriff deputy who was on scene following the accident and assisted in its recovery stated the united states coast guard had been conducting training in the area of the accident and found the pilot floating in the water and initiated rescue efforts. According to pilot statements following rescue he and the passenger were “Island hopping” taking photographs and the next thing he knew they were in the water. The pilot also stated he attempted to rescue the passenger from the submerged aircraft, but was unable.

The aircraft was located in approximately 30 feet of water nose down with the aircraft tail 3 feet below the surface. All control surfaces and major components including a landing gear nose wheel, were found within a confined debris field with the fuselage. Both floats were highly damaged and found partially submerged with associated mounting struts on a sand bar 500 feet northwest of the aircraft.

Recovery of the wreckage was conducted by divers from the Michigan state police and a local barge company. FAA iic was on-site during the recovery.

Except for the floats and associated mounting hardware, the aircraft was intact with all control surfaces, engine, and propeller still connected. FAA and NTSB found no mechanical issues with the aircraft and propeller damage signatures show the engine was producing power at the time of impact.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUN 23, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 LOCAL TIME, AN AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT EQUIPPED EXPERIMENTAL AVID MAGNUM AIRCRAFT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTERED TO A LIMITED LIABILITY CORPORATION AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING AN IMPACT WITH THE WATER SURFACE NEAR WHISKY ISLAND IN LAKE MICHIGAN 45° 47.83’ N 85° 36.62’ W. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS ABLE TO SELF-EGRESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. THE SOLE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX), BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 0830.

ACCORDING TO THE CHARLEVOIX COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTY WHO WAS ON SCENE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT AND ASSISTED IN ITS RECOVERY STATED THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD HAD BEEN CONDUCTING TRAINING IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT AND FOUND THE PILOT FLOATING IN THE WATER AND INITIATED RESCUE EFFORTS. ACCORDING TO PILOT STATEMENTS FOLLOWING RESCUE HE AND THE PASSENGER WERE “ISLAND HOPPING” TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE NEXT THING HE KNEW THEY WERE IN THE WATER. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO RESCUE THE PASSENGER FROM THE SUBMERGED AIRCRAFT, BUT WAS UNABLE.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET OF WATER NOSE DOWN WITH THE AIRCRAFT TAIL 3 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE. ALL CONTROL SURFACES AND MAJOR COMPONENTS INCLUDING A LANDING GEAR NOSE WHEEL, WERE FOUND WITHIN A CONFINED DEBRIS FIELD WITH THE FUSELAGE. BOTH FLOATS WERE HIGHLY DAMAGED AND FOUND PARTIALLY SUBMERGED WITH ASSOCIATED MOUNTING STRUTS ON A SAND BAR 500 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE AIRCRAFT.

RECOVERY OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONDUCTED BY DIVERS FROM THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE AND A LOCAL BARGE COMPANY. FAA IIC WAS ON-SITE DURING THE RECOVERY.

EXCEPT FOR THE FLOATS AND ASSOCIATED MOUNTING HARDWARE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT WITH ALL CONTROL SURFACES, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER STILL CONNECTED. FAA AND NTSB FOUND NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND PROPELLER DAMAGE SIGNATURES SHOW THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

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 CEN23FA257Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportBeaver Island, MIThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering in low visibility conditions due to smoke and haze.Jun 23, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N103DG · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20100302030119ALanding: Rollout · Lowell, MILanding on runway 12, aircraft drifted hard to the right after touchdown. Pilot could not arrest drift. Aircraft went off the right side hitting the snowbank along the edge of the runway and flipped over on it's back.Mar 2, 2010 · Substantial damage