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GAA16CA310

2016-06-12 · Greers Ferry, Arkansas, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The amphibious airplane pilot's incorrect pitch attitude during landing on choppy water, which resulted in a nose over, and substantial damage to the fuselage.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during the 4th water landing of the flight, during touchdown, "the nose pitched down aggressively" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that he and the passenger were able to perform an emergency evacuation before the airplane sank. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that boat wake developed in the landing area and the nose of the airplane "may have been a little low" during the landing. According to a police report, the passenger reported that "we misjudged the wave and the plane flipped onto its back." The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during the 4th water landing of the flight, during touchdown, "the nose pitched down aggressively" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that he and the passenger were able to perform an emergency evacuation before the airplane sank. The fuselage sustained substantial damage.   During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that boat wake developed in the landing area and the nose of the airplane "may have been a little low" during the landing. According to a police report, the passenger reported that "we misjudged the wave and the plane flipped onto its back."   The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Choppy surface-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA310.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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