Saturday, April 01, 2017

Hard Landing: ICON A5, N672BA; accident occurred April 01, 2017 in Key Largo, Florida






Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Icon Aircraft Inc
Icon Flight Center East


Location: Key Largo, Florida
Accident Number: GAA17CA213
Date & Time: April 1, 2017, 13:15 Local 
Registration: N672BA
Aircraft: ICON AIRCRAFT INC A5 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Hard landing
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation

Analysis

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that, during a no-flap water landing, he noticed a higher descent rate than expected. He added that he applied full power to initiate a go-around but that the airplane landed hard on the water. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane and were rescued without further incident.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot reported that he believed the airplane encountered "a windshift/shear to a tailwind as [he] transitioned high to low for landing approach toward the [south-southwest]." A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 6 miles west of the accident site reported that, about 17 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 090° at 9 knots.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.

Findings

Aircraft Descent/approach/glide path - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Personnel issues Delayed action - Pilot
Environmental issues Tailwind - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Hard landing (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline transport; Flight engineer; Flight instructor
Age: 53, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Single-engine sea; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: February 27, 2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: January 8, 2017
Flight Time: (Estimated) 8545 hours (Total, all aircraft), 175 hours (Total, this make and model), 4370 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 166 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 73 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: ICON AIRCRAFT INC
Registration: N672BA
Model/Series: A5 NO SERIES 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2016 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Special light-sport (Special) 
Serial Number: 00010
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle; Amphibian; Hull
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: January 19, 2017 Condition 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1510 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 129 Hrs at time of accident 
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: C91 installed, activated, aided in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: 912 iS Sport
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 100 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Does Business As: Icon Aircraft 
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHST, 7 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 6 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 16:58 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 275°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 2100 ft AGL 
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 15000 ft AGL 
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 9 knots / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  / None
Wind Direction: 90° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.04 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 25°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: KEY LARGO, FL (07FA)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: KEY LARGO, FL (07FA)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:00 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 25.35,-80.300003(est)




SOUTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A small plane made a water landing in South Miami-Dade, Saturday afternoon.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Icon A5 aircraft landed in the area of Biscayne National Park with two male occupants on board.

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue boat was requested to assist Florida Fish and Wildlife and park officials.

When crews arrived, they found the men sitting on the wings of the mostly submerged plane. They were not injured.

14 comments:

  1. Salt water .... take it to the junkyard!

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  2. Icon's facebook posting says a hard water landing resulted in a hull breach, and subsequent submerging. They suggest pilot error.

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  3. Any accident has to be reported to the NTSB or FAA. I can't find any NTSB preliminary report and it is a bit suspicious the aircraft has been spirited away to their facilities and broadcast already a hard landing without full investigation.

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  4. Freedom of Information Act = Request accident report status with the Flight Standards District Office. Also, the local news media outlets can investigate with FOIA.

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  5. Icon touts their airplanes for (mostly) wealthy, non-pilot, sports-car-lover types who want a flying toy that's easy and safe. That doesn't mean it's impossible to crash one!

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  6. "While it probably IS pilot error, I find it tasteless and tacky for an aircraft manufacturer and CEO to point the finger so quickly. I'm becoming less impressed with this company each day. When I owned an Eclipse Jet, I always said that I loved the aircraft and hated the company. I'm afraid I might be feeling a bit of deja vu. -Icon position holder" -

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  7. Not a single mention (on the Icon Facebook page) of FAA and/or NTSB doing an investigation. Most, if not all, reputable aircraft manufacturers will state, let the NTSB and FAA investigators do their work. Not so with Icon. Icon took it upon themselves to "the situation is still under review by ICON, initial information suggests pilot error". Something really, really stinks about this company. Suspicious? Yes, extremely suspicious.

    During flight operations in Miami, Florida this Saturday, 1 April, one of our A5s experienced an extremely hard landing that resulted in hull damage that caused the aircraft to take on water. Both the pilot and passenger were uninjured. While the aircraft subsequently submerged up to the wings, it remained afloat and was towed approximately 8 miles to a marina where it was loaded onto an A5 trailer and transported back to ICON. While the situation is still under review by ICON, initial information suggests pilot error. https://www.facebook.com/iconaircraft/

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  8. It make no sense to issue a statement of blame so early after a crash...all mature aviation companies know this, ICON needs to be careful with their tactics or they could lose consumer confidence.

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  9. I am not defending Icon at all, but perhaps the pilot told them he made a hard landing?

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  10. I'm not sure it remained afloat. Those waters on the bayside of key largo are often less than 6 feet deep.

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  11. And now the former baseball player dies. These crafts seem to crash bad perhaps they haven't the proper build to keep the plane stable for a smooth water landing and lack a strong enough hull to sustain the hits when it does.

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  12. This accident proves that being ex-military top guns does not make you a seaplane pilot. The ICON Company has no experienced seaplane pilots on their team, if they did this accident would not have happened. They don’t even have a VSI which is critical for water landings. Why would anyone fly with their so called "instructors".......

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  13. Glad that ICON is making toy-aircraft and not airliners !

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