Amateur-built SUPER BEARHAWK accident near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, September 4, 2014
On September 4, 2014 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built SUPER BEARHAWK, registered CFBCA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate flare during landing on water with a glassy condition, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2014 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sault Ste Marie, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SUPER BEARHAWK
- Registration
- CFBCA · no longer on the register · serial RNC 469
- 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 he was attempting to land the airplane on a lake and that he misjudged the height of the airplane above the water, which he described as "glassy." During the touchdown, the left float "dug in," and the airplane subsequently nosed over. It is likely that the glassy water conditions adversely affected the pilot's depth perception, which led to his subsequent failure to judge the height above the water.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Glassy › Effect on personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: recreational
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 129 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 69 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 28, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470E (piston); 2,534 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sault St. Marie MI at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Sault St. Marie MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from CIU, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on January 27, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.