- Date
- July 17, 1996, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tenakee Springs, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3XPHorton Avid Flyer MK IV
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960717017949A
- Case key
- 2859
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Gusty winds were a factor in the accident.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was landing on a remote lake in a float-equipped homebuilt airplane toward the east in calm wind conditions. After touchdown, the pilot retracted the flaperons, slowed to about 20 miles per hour, and was settling off the float step. A gust of wind struck the left side of the airplane and tilted the right wing down. The right wingtip contacted the water and the airplane rolled up onto the front of the right float assembly. The airplane then nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 1996, about 1200 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped 1993 David Horton, Avid Flyer Mark IV, N3XP, crashed during landing on Pavlof Lake, about 9 miles northeast of Tenakee Springs, Alaska. The homebuilt airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that he was landing toward the east in calm wind conditions. After touch down, the pilot retracted the flaperons, slowed to about 20 miles per hour, and was settling off the float step. A gust of wind struck the left side of the airplane and tilted the right wing down. The right wing tip contacted the water and the airplane rolled up onto the front of the right float assembly. The airplane then nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing tip and ribs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3XP
- Reported as
- Horton Avid Flyer MK IV (AVID FLYER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1309D
- Airframe hours
- 101
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David A. Horton Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1995 · 101 hours before
- Departed
- Auke Lake, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 247 total · 124 in this make and model · 247 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.