Rainbow Sky Reach (Pty) BUSHCAT N253BC

Summary

On 7 July 2017 at about 19:15 local time, a Rainbow Sky Reach (Pty) BUSHCAT registered N253BC, operated by Overwatch Tools LLC., was involved in an accident near Ahoskie, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were 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

7 July 2017 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Ahoskie, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

36.4481, -76.9461

Aircraft

Rainbow Sky Reach (Pty) BUSHCAT

Registration

N253BC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Overwatch Tools LLC.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chesapeake → Chesapeake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA397

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain proper lateral/bank control during the landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over into water.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that he overflew the river where he planned to land about 1,000 ft above the water. He observed "negligible surface clues" indicating wind direction and recalled that a nearby "ATIS" reported the wind as "light" and from the southwest, so he decided to land to the south. He added that, following a normal landing touchdown, as the airplane was slowing, a "sudden moderate to severe gust of wind came from the right to left." He added that he "inputted right stick to counter" the wind gust and applied power to "go-around," but the airplane nosed over forward and to the left. The fuselage, empennage, and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station 14 nautical miles (nm) southwest from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 340° at 3 knots. The departure airport about 30 nm northeast reported, about the time the pilot departed, wind from 300° at 4 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was from the southwest, gusting to 10 to 15 knots. He added that the landing direction was to the south.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.