Avid MAGNUM N103DG

Summary

On 23 June 2023 at about 12:44 local time, a Avid MAGNUM registered N103DG was involved in an accident near Beaver Island, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2023 at 12:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Beaver Island, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

45.7955, -85.6095

Aircraft

Avid MAGNUM

Registration

N103DG

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beaver Island → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23FA257

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering in low visibility conditions due to smoke and haze.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a local personal sightseeing flight, the pilot was maneuvering the airplane to see a lighthouse on a remote island. Although he reported that he had good visibility and that the water was flat, the airplane inadvertently impacted the surface of the lake. The pilot regained consciousness in the water but had no recollection of the accident. The airplane was submerged in 20 ft of water. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both wings, the floats, and the lower fuselage exhibited significant aft crush damage consistent with a nose low, left-wing low impact with the water. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. According to a surface observation about 6 miles southeast of the accident site, visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Satellite imagery for the accident site indicated cloud cover and lower visibility over most of the lake due to wildfire smoke. The first responders reported that about 15 minutes after the accident there was a lack of contrast on the horizon with smoke, haze, and calm seas, with no discernable horizon visible. The pilot of a rescue helicopter that arrived at the accident site about 30 minutes after the accident confirmed that the smoke and haze, combined with no wind and very calm water, made it impossible to determine where the sky and water met. There was no record that the pilot obtained a weather briefing before the flight. Given the condition of the airplane and the visibility conditions at the time of the accident, it is likely that the pilot was not able to discern between the water and the horizon due to the smoke, haze, and the calm waters which resulted in the inadvertent descent into the water.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.