NTSB FINDINGS
NTSB findings explain why the accident occurred while a cause describes what happened. This helps us understand environmental, aircraft, and pilot actions as they relate to crashes. A finding also provides additional details to help quantify the accident cause.
The leading NTSB finding for seaplane accidents remains pilots’ failure to properly control their aircraft—there were 146 total accidents of which 33 were fatal. Pilot decision making was second with 46 total and 14 fatal accidents. Failure to maintain or attain proper airspeed was third with 31 total and 14 fatal accidents. These three areas account for two-thirds of all accidents.
Aircraft Control Findings
Within the 146 aircraft control accidents, 54 were LOC-I, 31 were ARC, and 31 were LOC-G—those three causes accounted for 80 percent of aircraft control accidents. The top phase of flight was landing (67), followed by takeoff (29), and initial climb (19).
The leading NTSB finding for seaplane accidents remains pilots’ failure to properly control their aircraft.
Decision Making Findings
Decision making accidents were the second-highest finding with 46 total accidents. The majority were LOC-I (12), followed by (6) unintended flight into IMC conditions (UIMC), and ARC (5). Takeoff was the most common phase of flight for decision-making accidents (16), with initial climb and maneuvering tied at eight each.
Accident Case Study: Lake Renegade
On July 27, 2017, a Lake Renegade amphibious aircraft arrived at the Oshkosh seaplane base for an afternoon during AirVenture week. After a brief stay, the pilot became anxious to load his two passengers and depart. Due to choppy water conditions on Lake Winnebago, the seaplane base staff repeatedly warned the pilot of the danger of taking off on high waves. The pilot ultimately chose to depart, which resulted in a fatal crash while attempting to get airborne.