Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
St. Ignace, Michigan 49781
Tuesady, August 2, 1994 13:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND BOAT OPERATOR HAD PREARRANGED TO MEET IN A COVE OFF A DESERTED ISLAND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE ENE AT 10-15 KTS, AND HE LANDED ON AN EASTERLY HEADING. HE STATED '...WE TOUCHED DOWN AND WERE GOING TOWARDS SHORE WHEN I WENT INTO REVERSE AND OFF THE STEP. THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT FURTHER TOWARDS SHORE AND AWAY FROM THE WIND....' THIS WOULD OCCUR IF THE LEFT PROPELLER DID NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE PILOT THEN TURNED AROUND AND TAXIED DOWNWIND ON THE WATER TOWARDS THE MOORED BOAT. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE BOAT, THE PILOT APPLIED REVERSE THRUST, BUT THE LEFT PROPELLER DID NOT GO INTO REVERSE PITCH. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE PILOT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY SLOWING DOWN, THE BOAT OPERATOR, HIS WIFE, AND 4-YEAR-OLD SON JUMPED INTO THE WATER. THE 6-YEAR-OLD SON DID NOT GET OFF THE BOAT AND WAS KILLED WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE BOAT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LEFT PROPELLER LOW PITCH STOP ASSEMBLY WAS NOT OPERATING NORMALLY DUE TO A DISPLACED STOP RING AND STOP WEDGE. THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY HAD OPERATED ABOUT 70 HOURS SINCE IT WAS REBUILT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW GOOD SEAPLANE OPERATING PRACTICES BY TAXIING WITH POWER AT FORWARD THRUST, WITH A TAILWIND, AT A SPEED THAT NECESSITATED USING REVERSE THRUST TO ARREST THE EXCESSIVE SPEED, AND THE PILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF HIS DISTANCE FROM THE BOAT. THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT PROPELLER REVERSING SYSTEM WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/2/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1340 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ST. IGNACE |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49781 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 1 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 3 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | 9 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1183 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 2 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1415 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7025N |
| NTSB Number | CHI94FA262 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GRUMMAN |
| Aircraft Model | HU-16 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | HU-16 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 409 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 33500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 12 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 24 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 3936 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DA SILVA, URBANO M. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5403 ROGERS HIGHWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | TECUMSEH |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49286 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DASILVA, URBANO M. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5403 ROGERS HIGHWAY |
| Operator City | TECUMSEH |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 49286 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1245 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |