- Date
- January 29, 2023, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dallesport, WA · 15 miles E of KDLS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N127DTCub Crafters CC18-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230129001389A
- Case key
- 106658
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 flight instructor’s failure to see and avoid a channel marker during a step taxi in preparation for takeoff on the water.
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 flight instructor of an amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that, he was demonstrating to the student pilot a water landing and step taxi from the back seat. While in the step taxi and preparing to takeoff, the student alerted the flight instructor to a channel hazard marker directly in front of the airplane. The flight instructor was unable to respond before the left wing and left side float collided with the marker about a second later. The left wing and left side float separated from the fuselage resulting in substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N127DT
- Reported as
- Cub Crafters CC18-180 (CC18-0051)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CC18-0051
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 924
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L-Bird LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 2022 · 16.6 hours before
- Departed
- KDLS · Dallesport, WA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2021
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,751 total · 884.2 in this make and model · 2,661.6 as pilot in command · 92.1 in the last 90 days · 30.6 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.56 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLS, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDLS 292053Z AUTO 26006KT 10SM CLR M01/M12 A3056 RMK AO2 SLP353 T10061122 58004
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 23, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.
Other investigations on N127DT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.