(Witness) Reported That The Airplane Was Flying Level About 100 To 200 Ft Above The Water Toward The Powerlines

Location: Hickory, North Carolina    Accident Number: ERA23LA334
Date & Time: August 13, 2023, 11:28    Local Registration: N239WD
Aircraft: Scoda Aeronautica Super Petrel   Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Low altitude operation/event   Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

The NTSB has published the final report regarding a fatal crash involving a Super Petrol from the summer of 2023, where a seaplane flew into a set of powerlines while skimming along the lake at low altitude. 

"The private pilot/owner and the student pilot/passenger departed in the amphibious airplane and flew to a local lake where they were observed conducting a touch-and-go landing and flying low over the water. One witness, who was on his boat dock about 100 yards from a set of energized powerlines that spanned the lake, reported that the airplane was flying level about 100 to 200 ft above the water toward the powerlines. As the airplane approached the powerlines, it appeared to take a sudden nose-down attitude before it impacted the powerlines. There was a large explosion and the airplane impacted the water," the report said.

Worse for locals in the area, the collision caused a large electrical power outage to the surrounding community. "Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed impact signatures consistent with impact with the powerlines and no evidence of any mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the witness’ observations, the pilot likely observed the powerlines and attempted to maneuver underneath them. The airplane then struck the powerlines, lost control, and impacted the lake."

Overall, the National Transportation Safety Board came to the unsurprising conclusion that the accident was due to the "pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines while maneuvering at a low altitude
over water, which resulted in a collision and loss of control." If anything, it's another sad lesson in the fact that even novel, exciting new ventures like seaplane operation carry the same risks that standard aircraft do.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov