Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
NTSB analysis
The light sport aircraft student pilot was taking his experimental light sport seaplane for its second test flight. The student pilot reported that he reduced power without verifying the airplane's airspeed during the landing and the left wing dropped; the airplane subsequently touched down hard upon the water. Damage included composite material fractures on both vertical fins. The student pilot had about 32 hours total time and had been signed off by his certified flight instructor to fly a single-engine land light sport airplane. He was not signed off for solo flight in the accident airplane. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09CA310 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 24, 2009
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Bellevue, Washington
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built SEA-ERA
- N-number
- N226SE
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Flight test
Other records under this N-number
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.