20250906012629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumman G-44A · Beaver Cove, ME · September 6, 2025

Date: September 6, 2025 · 08:55 local
Place: Beaver Cove, ME
Airport: Greenville Municipal
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N402E
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA25LA341
Reported as: Grumman G-44A
Reported engine: Lycoming GO-435C&D series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,575 total2,070 in this make and model44 in the last 90 days

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.

Aircraft departed 3B1 expecting to form up with two other seaplanes for a flyover of the seaplane base. Pilot stated that he didn't see the other aircraft and didn't hear any radio chatter. Pilot decided to land on the lake and wait. He texted another pilot for the correct frequency while descending to approach. As he was trying to adjust the radio to the correct frequency on a radio stack that was installed new last year, he looked up and saw that he was right over the water and heading down, resulting in a hard landing. Pilot exited aircraft and hung on to left outboard wing section that had sheared off during the landing. Aircraft sank as pilot was rescued by boat. There was significant damage to the aircraft including left wing sheared off outboard of the nacelle, fuselage torn and wrinkled up to cockpit, right wing damage and empennage damage. Aircraft was recovered from approximately 100 ft. down in the lake.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 3B1 EXPECTING TO FORM UP WITH TWO OTHER SEAPLANES FOR A FLYOVER OF THE SEAPLANE BASE. PILOT STATED THAT HE DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER AIRCRAFT AND DIDN'T HEAR ANY RADIO CHATTER. PILOT DECIDED TO LAND ON THE LAKE AND WAIT. HE TEXTED ANOTHER PILOT FOR THE CORRECT FREQUENCY WHILE DESCENDING TO APPROACH. AS HE WAS TRYING TO ADJUST THE RADIO TO THE CORRECT FREQUENCY ON A RADIO STACK THAT WAS INSTALLED NEW LAST YEAR, HE LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT HE WAS RIGHT OVER THE WATER AND HEADING DOWN, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.PILOT EXITED AIRCRAFT AND HUNG ON TO LEFT OUTBOARD WING SECTION THAT HAD SHEARED OFF DURING THE LANDING.AIRCRAFT SANK AS PILOT WAS RESCUED BY BOAT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING LEFT WING SHEARED OFF OUTBOARD OF THE NACELLE, FUSELAGE TORN AND WRINKLED UP TO COCKPIT, RIGHT WING DAMAGE AND EMPENNAGE DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM APPROXIMATELY 100 FT. DOWN IN THE LAKE.

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 ERA25LA341Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportBeaver Cove, METhe pilot’s distraction and failure to monitor the airplane’s flight path, which resulted in controlled flight into a lake.Sep 6, 2025 · Substantial damage