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Atlas / NTSB / ANC13CA052

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC13CA052

2013-05-30 Fairbanks, Alaska, United States Airport · PVT None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadequate flare, which resulted in a nose-low impact with glassy water and a subsequent nose-over.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he had flown to a remote lake to practice touch-and-go landings, in a float-equipped airplane, on glassy water. On his first landing, the airplane touched down in a slight nose-low attitude, and the right float struck the water. The airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, and right lift strut. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had flown to a remote lake to practice touch-and-go landings, in a float-equipped airplane, on glassy water. On his first landing, the airplane touched down in a slight nose-low attitude, and the right float struck the water. The airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, and right lift strut. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa-Glassy-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_ANC13CA052.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.