Marino BENOIST TYPE XIV N613LD

Summary

On 16 July 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Marino BENOIST TYPE XIV registered N613LD, operated by Duluth Aviation Institute, was involved in an accident near Duluth, Minnesota, 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

16 July 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Duluth, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Harbor Airport (KDYT)

Coordinates

46.7219, -92.0433

Aircraft

Marino BENOIST TYPE XIV

Registration

N613LD

Category

Airplane

Operator

Duluth Aviation Institute

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Duluth → Duluth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA418

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the seaplane during its initial flight test. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's overall lack of flight experience in the seaplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during the first flight after the seaplane was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate. According to the pilot, the seaplane was a replica of a 100-year-old design and had very unconventional controls. The pilot reported that his initial flight test plan was to take off and then fly 1-2 feet above the water for a couple hundred yards before landing again. However, he stated that immediately after liftoff, the seaplane unexpectedly pitched up steeply. The pilot reduced the seaplane’s pitch attitude to avoid a stall, but the seaplane responded more rapidly than he expected so he increased its pitch attitude to avoid a collision with the water. The seaplane ultimately climbed to about 30 feet above the water before the pilot initiated a descent for a landing. The pilot reported that he “could not control the landing” and that the seaplane collided with the water in a nose-low and right-wing-low attitude. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the seaplane during the accident flight. In addition, he noted that his overall lack of flight experience in the seaplane contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.