- Date
- May 20, 2020, 09:46 local (14:46 UTC)
- Place
- Lino Lakes, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N612RCessna R172
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200520006889A
- Case key
- 101317
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 loss of directional control during takeoff with a crosswind.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and flight instructor were conducting a local flight in the float equipped airplane from a seaplane base. The pilot stated that there was a crosswind from the southeast and he planned to takeoff to the southwest with a 30° left turn while "on step" to avoid the lake weed bloom in progress. The pilot added that during the takeoff attempt, with the airplane "on step," he made a left turn toward an opening in the weeds, swung around a buoy, then the airplane capsized. A witness reported that during the takeoff, the left float was higher than the right and the right wing dipped down. The pilot reported to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the centrifugal force acting on the airplane and the left crosswind allowed the left wing to lift and the right float sunk into the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mount. There were no reported mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot and flight instructor were conducting a local flight in the float equipped airplane from a seaplane base. The pilot stated that there was a crosswind from the southeast and he planned to takeoff to the southwest with a 30° left turn while "on step" to avoid the lake weed bloom in progress. The pilot added that during the takeoff attempt, with the airplane "on step," he made a left turn toward an opening in the weeds, swung around a buoy, then the airplane capsized. A witness reported that during the takeoff, the left float was higher than the right and the right wing dipped down. The pilot reported to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the centrifugal force acting on the airplane and the left crosswind allowed the left wing to lift and the right float sunk into the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mount. There were no reported mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N612R
- Reported as
- Cessna R172 (K)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1722687
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 4,945
- Engine
- continental Motors IO-360-KB, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 2020
- Departed
- 8Y4 · Lino Lakes, MN
- Destination
- 8Y4 · Lino Lakes, MN
- Airport
- 8Y4 · Surfside, runway SW, 6,500 × 1,000 ft, water
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 681 total · 145 in this make and model · 596 as pilot in command · 6.5 in the last 90 days · 4.5 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,638 total · 76 in this make and model · 2,942 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KANE, 4 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.