Low-altitude manuever goes bad

Aircraft: Aventura II. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Laceys Spring, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The pilot was said to have logged 700 hours, including about 10 flights in the accident airplane. However, his most recent flight review was completed nearly six years prior to the accident and he did not possess the required rating to operate the seaplane. There was no record of the pilot receiving any flight training in any other seaplane.

The pilot and a passenger departed for a local flight with the intent of landing the amphibious airplane in a nearby farm field that was flooded with water.

A friend of the pilot noted that the water level in the field was not sufficient for a landing and waved off the pilot as he overflew the field.

The airplane was at an altitude of approximately 100 feet when it entered a steep left bank and crashed in a nose-down attitude.

The symmetric damage signatures observed on the airplane’s propeller and observations of a witness to the accident confirmed that the engine operated until impact.

Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a low-altitude maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of the required rating to operate the airplane.

NTSB Identification: ERA12FA194

This February 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.