Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sky Harbor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Duluth, Minnesota 55802
Tuesady, July 16, 2013 11:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident occurred during the first flight after the seaplane was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate. According to the pilot, the seaplane was a replica of a 100-year-old design and had very unconventional controls. The pilot reported that his initial flight test plan was to take off and then fly 1-2 feet above the water for a couple hundred yards before landing again. However, he stated that immediately after liftoff, the seaplane unexpectedly pitched up steeply. The pilot reduced the seaplane’s pitch attitude to avoid a stall, but the seaplane responded more rapidly than he expected so he increased its pitch attitude to avoid a collision with the water. The seaplane ultimately climbed to about 30 feet above the water before the pilot initiated a descent for a landing. The pilot reported that he “could not control the landing” and that the seaplane collided with the water in a nose-low and right-wing-low attitude. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the seaplane during the accident flight. In addition, he noted that his overall lack of flight experience in the seaplane contributed to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the seaplane during its initial flight test. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's overall lack of flight experience in the seaplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/16/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Duluth |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55802 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 464319N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0920236W |
| Event Location Airport | Sky Harbor Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KDYT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 610 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1134 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KDYT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 611 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KDYT 161634Z AUTO 09003KT 10SM CLR 19/17 A30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31945 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Central Region Duty Officer, A |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 5 2013 4:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N613LD |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA418 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Marino |
| Aircraft Model | Benoist Type XIV |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 43 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1430 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 27 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3.7 |
| Airframe Hours | 3.7 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Duluth Aviation Institute |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Sky Harbor Airport, Hangar 10 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Duluth |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Duluth Aviation Institute |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | Sky Harbor Airport, Hangar 10 |
| Operator City | Duluth |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 55802 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KDYT |
| Departure City | Duluth |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1110 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KDYT |
| Destination City | Duluth |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 22 2013 10:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |