Amateur-built SEA-ERA N226SE accident near Bellevue, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control during takeoff on choppy water conditions.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during takeoff from a lake, the airplane started to bounce from wave to wave, and it eventually porpoised. When the pilot reduced power to abort the takeoff, the left wingtip ski struck a wave, and the airplane yawed to the left. The right wing then struck the water, and the airplane abruptly stopped. The fuselage and wing spars were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that the wind on the lake at the time of the accident was about 18 knots and that the waves were about 12 to 15 inches high. The pilot reported that the highest waves he had previously encountered in this airplane were 10 to 12 inches high. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13CA140 for the full record.