Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY N502BK

Summary

On 17 August 2020 at about 23:00 local time, a Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY registered N502BK was involved in an accident near League City, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 August 2020 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

League City, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.5503, -95.0422

Aircraft

Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY

Registration

N502BK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

League City → La Porte

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20CA348

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a water takeoff after an encounter with the wake from a boat.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that he had made a landing on the lake surface and then performed a step-taxi into the wind. He then applied full power to takeoff and the airplane hit a wave from a passing boat. When the airplane struck the second wave from the boat, the front of the airplane went under water. The nose of the airplane was ripped off. With the engine still running, the airplane nosed over and filled with water. In his report the pilot noted that he had not set the airplane's trim properly and he failed to apply back pressure on the controls when he hit the boat wake. He also noted that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.