NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA17CA574
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The airplane’s encounter with boat wake and multiple swells during a water takeoff.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during a water takeoff, about 50 knots, the airplane encountered boat wake, which caused the airplane to become airborne prematurely. He added that the airplane landed on a swell and became airborne again. During the second touchdown, the airplane struck another swell, and touched down hard. The pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The director of operations for the company reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during a water takeoff and about 50 knots, the airplane encountered boat wake, which caused the airplane to become airborne prematurely. He added that the airplane landed on a swell and became airborne again. During the second touchdown, the airplane struck another swell and touched down hard. The pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The director of operations for the company reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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 Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Choppy surface-Effect on operation - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2017_GAA17CA574.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2025 · arXiv preprint
Hybrid Powertrain Optimization for Regional Aircraft Integrating Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Aluminum Air Batteries
With the increasing demand for air travel and the urgency to reduce emissions, transitioning from fossil fuel-based propulsion systems is a critical step toward sustainable aviation.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
Simulation Modeling Requirements for Loss-of-Control Accident Prevention of Turboprop Transport Aircraft
In-flight loss of control remains the leading contributor to aviation accident fatalities, with stall upsets being the leading causal factor. The February 12, 2009.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
Civil helicopter wire strike assessment study. Volume 2: Accident analysis briefs
A description and analysis of each of the 208 civil helicopter wire strike accidents reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for the ten year period 1970-1979 is given.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
Civil helicopter wire strike assessment study. Volume 1: Findings and recommendations
Approximately 208 civil helicopter wire strike accidents for a ten year period 1970 to 1979 are analyzed. It is found that 83% of the wire strikes occurred during bright clear weather.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗