- Date
- September 6, 2013, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1136LLake LA-4
- Defining event
- Taxi: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130906019549A
- Case key
- 88028
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
An encounter with a large wave during water taxi, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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
According to the pilot, he made a pass over the lake in search of a landing site with the least amount of boat traffic. After an uneventful water landing, he began to water taxi the airplane; however, his passenger and he noticed a large wave approaching at a 45 degree angle from the port side of the airplane. As the wave impacted the airplane’s pontoons, the pilot encountered a strong left rudder deflection and the airplane nosed over into the water. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the airplane’s nose section. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he made a pass over the lake in search of a landing site with the least amount of boat traffic. After an uneventful water landing, he began to water taxi the airplane; however, his passenger and he noticed a large wave approaching at a 45 degree angle from the port side of the airplane. As the wave impacted the airplane’s pontoons, the pilot encountered a strong left rudder deflection and the airplane nosed over into the water. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the airplane’s nose section. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1136L
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 298
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 2,023
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2013
- Departed
- EKQ · Monticello, KY
- Destination
- None · Monticello, KY
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 4, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 150 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- EKQ, 7 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 30, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.