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ERA14CA177

2014-03-27 · Dadeville, Alabama, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point while landing on a lake with a tailwind.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the amphibian airplane reported that he was attempting to land on a lake with a tailwind. He circled the landing zone once and verified that there was no debris in the water. During the landing flare, the airplane floated beyond the intended touchdown point and was nearing the shore. The pilot initially added power to go-around, but then reduced power when he did not think the airplane would clear the trees near the shoreline. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest in the water. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The landing gear was retracted into the floats. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot of the amphibian airplane reported that he was attempting to land on a lake with a tailwind. He circled the landing zone once and verified that there was no debris in the water. During the landing flare, the airplane floated beyond the intended touchdown point and was nearing the shore. The pilot initially added power to go-around, but then reduced power when he did not think the airplane would clear the trees near the shoreline. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest in the water. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The landing gear was retracted into the floats. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_ERA14CA177.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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