Suggests Pilot Was Responsible In Web Post

While the NTSB's probable cause report on a fatal accident involving an Icon A5 May 8 will not be finalized for months, if not a year or more, Icon already says that pilot error is the likely cause.

Two people were fatally injured in the accident.

Christine Negroni writes on her "Flying Lessons" blog that in a statement posted on the company website, Icon’s director of flight, Shane Sullivan writes that it is unclear why the airplane was flown "into such a narrow canyon with no outlet" on lake Berryessa in California. Chief test pilot Jon Karkow was piloting the two seat amphibious A5 with Icon’s new director of engineering, Cagri Sever, aboard as a passenger.

According to the NTSB's preliminary report, a witness, who was in a boat on Lake Berryessa, reported observing the accident airplane flying over the lake about 30 to 50 feet above the water, at what seemed to be a low speed. The witness stated that the airplane passed by their position and entered a nearby cove, traveling in a northerly direction. The witness heard the engine "rev up" as the airplane drifted to the right side of the cove. Subsequently, the airplane pitched upward and entered a left turn, just before it traveled beyond the witness's field of view. The witness stated that he heard the sound of impact shortly after losing visual site of the airplane.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest upright in the northern area of Little Portuguese Canyon on Lake Berryessa. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site. The fuselage, right wing, and a portion of the empennage were located on the shoreline along a steep embankment, and the outboard portion of the left wing and left side of the empennage were partially submerged in water.

Icon had at one time been a darling of the sport aviation community, however, lengthy production and certification delays took some of the bloom off the rose. In their initial sales contracts, A5 buyers were required to sign documents saying they would hold the company harmless in the event of an accident. At the time, company founder Kirk Hawkins said that he was trying to offset legal liability issues that can slow innovation in general aviation.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report