- Date
- September 9, 2016, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nordman, ID
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N567AKVan Hoomissen Gerald J Murphy Elite
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160909017079A
- Case key
- 94155
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 floatplane pilot's improper landing flare during landing on choppy water with a tailwind, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to determine the wind direction before landing.
Findings · 4
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 of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the touchdown to the north on choppy lake waters the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that when he and the passenger egressed from the cockpit and climbed onto the floats he noticed that the wind was 5-7 miles per hour (mph) from the south. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that the pilot should get a "better read of the wind direction" prior to landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the touchdown to the north on choppy lake waters the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that when he and the passenger egressed from the cockpit and climbed onto the floats he noticed that the wind was 5-7 miles per hour (mph) from the south. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that the pilot should get a "better read of the wind direction" prior to landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N567AK
- Reported as
- Van Hoomissen Gerald J Murphy Elite (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 612E
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 186.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2015
- Departed
- DEW · Deer Park, WA
- Destination
- Nordman, ID
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,027 total · 63 in this make and model · 929 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- KSZT, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.