Summary
On August 25, 1994, a Grumman G-44 (N1471N) was involved in an accident near Nantucket, MA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH WATER.
On August 25, 1994, at 1520 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-44, N1471N, impacted the water during takeoff from Madaket Harbor, Nantucket, Massachusetts. The pilot received minor injuries. The amphibian airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that the takeoff began without incident. He stated, "Transition to the step was smooth...Once on the step there was no indication of engine trouble or control problems. Just prior to lifting off the water, out of the corner of my left eye, I spotted some contrary water what looked to be to me some kind of swell and decided to pull the power, but before I could do so, the plane veered extremely to the right.
This accident is documented in NTSB report BFO94LA151. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1471N.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH WATER.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On August 25, 1994, at 1520 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-44, N1471N, impacted the water during takeoff from Madaket Harbor, Nantucket, Massachusetts. The pilot received minor injuries. The amphibian airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that the takeoff began without incident. He stated, "Transition to the step was smooth...Once on the step there was no indication of engine trouble or control problems. Just prior to lifting off the water, out of the corner of my left eye, I spotted some contrary water what looked to be to me some kind of swell and decided to pull the power, but before I could do so, the plane veered extremely to the right. Attempts to level the plane with opposite aileron was not responsive."
The pilot stated that he "...pulled the power back..." and "...was able to keep the plane from rolling completely over." He stated the airplane's left side of the nose impacted the water and the airplane nosed over.
Post accident examination of the airframe and engines did not reveal any anomalies.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# BFO94LA151