Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56501
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:59 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The float plane was operated as a rental airplane when it received substantial damage during a hard landing on a lake following an aborted takeoff. The pilot stated that he took off toward the south and that the airplane became airborne "somewhat earlier than [he] anticipated and began to drift to the left." The pilot stated that he saw a peninsula along the flight path and was unsure of the float plane's ability to climb or turn to the right "properly" to avoid it. He then performed an aborted takeoff at 10-15 feet above the lake. He stated that the landing was "firm/hard," and the right fuselage strut partially collapsed into the right float upon landing. The pilot stated that if the float plane was aligned more to the right at lift off, he would have been "OK." He stated that he anticipated a left to right wind but encountered a right to left wind. The airplane rental operator stated that the pilot had two 5-gallon containers of fuel in the rear baggage compartment, and the airplane was over gross weight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The reduced airplane climb performance capability resulting in the pilot not obtaining a proper climb rate during takeoff and the inadequate flare by the pilot during the aborted takeoff. Additional causes were the inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, the airplane weight and balance exceeded by the pilot, and the inadequate compensation for wind conditions by they pilot. A contributing factor was the low airspeed at the time of the aborted takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/26/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1159 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Detroit Lakes |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 56501 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 464930N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0955308W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DTL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.02 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22570 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 26 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 29 2007 8:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | MSP |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2560M |
| NTSB Number | CHI07CA306 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12-936 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1833 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Super Cub Flyers Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Blaine |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55014 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Super Cub Flyers Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Jacksonville |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32225 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Detroit Lakes |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Long Lake |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 29 2007 3:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |