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CEN20CA348

2020-08-17 · League City, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N502BK

Make / Model
PROGRESSIVE AERODYNE INC SEAREY
Year of manufacture
2007 · 13 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912ULS SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20071025
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A64181

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a water takeoff after an encounter with the wake from a boat.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that he had made a landing on the lake surface and then performed a step-taxi into the wind. He then applied full power to takeoff and the airplane hit a wave from a passing boat. When the airplane struck the second wave from the boat, the front of the airplane went under water. The nose of the airplane was ripped off. With the engine still running, the airplane nosed over and filled with water. In his report the pilot noted that he had not set the airplane's trim properly and he failed to apply back pressure on the controls when he hit the boat wake. He also noted that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • F Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Choppy surface-Effect on operation - F
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Choppy surface-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA348.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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