Amateur-built SEAREY accident near Cokato, Minnesota, August 8, 2010
On August 8, 2010 at about 6:03 pm local time, a amateur-built SEAREY, registered N452TR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Cokato, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Separation of the composite skin on one of the three propeller blades that resulted in an in-flight vibration, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the water while maneuvering to avoid obstacles in preparation for a precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2010 · about 6:03 pm local time
- Place
- Cokato, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEAREY
- Registration
- N452TR · registry record · serial 1DK152
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff the propeller began making excessive noise and vibration. He reduced the engine power and looked for an area to make a precautionary landing. While the pilot executed a 180-degree turn in an effort to avoid obstacles in his flight path, the airplane decreased in altitude quicker than he anticipated and subsequently impacted the water. The airplane came to rest upright in approximately 3.5 feet of water. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was a separation of the composite skin on the forward face of one of the propeller blades. The separation in the skin was located about mid-span and ran the full width (chord) of the blade. The remainder of the blade appeared to be intact. The other two propeller blades appeared to be undamaged. The propeller had accumulated approximately 33 hours time in service at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he conducted a preflight inspection and there was no visible damage to the subject propeller blade.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller blade section › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 101 hours in all; 33 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 31, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cokato MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 5:43 pm from CFE, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N452TR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.