Summary
On May 13, 2001, a Leonard Walters Avid Magnum (N21911) was involved in an incident near Lake Shasta, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A loss of control on final approach due to encountering a strong wind gust and downdraft.
On May 12, 2001, about 1940 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt Walters Avid Magnum, N21911, touched down hard on Lake Shasta, California. The seaplane was substantially damaged. Neither the commercial certificated pilot, who owned and operated the experimental airplane, nor the passenger was injured during the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from a lake near Oroville, California, about 1850.
In the pilot's completed accident report, he indicated that light to moderate turbulence was experienced during his landing approach to the lake.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX01LA176. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N21911.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of control on final approach due to encountering a strong wind gust and downdraft.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 12, 2001, about 1940 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt Walters Avid Magnum, N21911, touched down hard on Lake Shasta, California. The seaplane was substantially damaged. Neither the commercial certificated pilot, who owned and operated the experimental airplane, nor the passenger was injured during the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from a lake near Oroville, California, about 1850.
In the pilot's completed accident report, he indicated that light to moderate turbulence was experienced during his landing approach to the lake. He stated that he encountered a "terrible downdraft." With very little forward ground speed, his airplane descended at 1,000 feet per minute. Despite application of engine power, he was unable to climb out of the downdraft. Suddenly, about 50 feet above the water, the airplane pitched downward and impacted the water at a 45-degree angle. The pilot additionally reported that an acquaintance of his indicated that, at the time of the accident, there were 30-knot wind gusts in the vicinity.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX01LA176