- Date
- April 1, 2017, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Key Largo, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N672BAIcon A5
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170401003619A
- Case key
- 94954
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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the approach, which resulted in a hard 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 airplane reported that, during a no-flap water landing, he noticed a higher descent rate than expected. He added that he applied full power to initiate a go-around but that the airplane landed hard on the water. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane and were rescued without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane encountered "a windshift/shear to a tailwind as [he] transitioned high to low for landing approach toward the [south-southwest]." A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles west of the accident site reported that, about 17 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 090° at 9 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during a no flap water landing, he noticed a higher descent rate than expected. He added that he applied full power to initiate a go-around, but the airplane landed hard on the water. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane and were rescued without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he believes the airplane encountered "a windshift/shear to a tailwind as [he] transitioned high to low for landing approach toward the [south-southwest]". A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles to the west of the accident site reported that about 17 minutes before the accident the wind was 090° at 9 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N672BA
- Reported as
- Icon A5 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 00010
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 129
- Engine
- Rotax 912 iS Sport, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Icon Flight Center East, doing business as Icon Aircraft
- Registered owner
- Icon Aircraft Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 19, 2017
- Departed
- 07FA · Key Largo, FL
- Destination
- 07FA · Key Largo, FL
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Data recorder, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,545 total · 175 in this make and model · 4,370 as pilot in command · 166 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KHST, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 874 KB 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.