Amateur-built SEAREY N169GW accident near Knoxville, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was providing rides to passengers in an amateur-built seaplane, and following a previous uneventful local flight with another passenger, the pilot returned, landed, and the accident passenger boarded. The final moments of the accident flight were captured on video by pleasure boaters. The airplane overflew the boat at a low altitude, then entered a steep bank, descended steeply, and impacted the water. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or flight controls. According to the experimental seaplane’s kit manufacturer, when equipped with a 100 horsepower engine and loaded with 2 occupants, the stall speed in level flight was 40 miles per hour.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09LA325 for the full record.