Icon A5 accident near Lake, Michigan, July 27, 2019
On July 27, 2019 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 2016 Icon A5, registered N663BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lake, Michigan. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to operate the airplane in exceedance of the airplane manufacturer’s operating limitations, which led to an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to continue attempting the takeoff after two failed attempts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2019 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lake, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Icon A5, built 2016
- Registration
- N663BA · registry record · serial 00004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a sales demonstration flight with a pilot-rated passenger on board. He reported that, when he started the takeoff run from a lake, three small wakes helped propel the airplane into the air. He stated that the airplane took off on the first attempt, the takeoff was normal, and "there was nothing wrong with the [air]plane at all." He added that, after initiating a 10° right turn to stay over the lake, it felt like the airplane "hit a wall." The airplane then descended rapidly, clipped a tree, and impacted water, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot-rated passenger said that it took four takeoff attempts to get airborne and that the airplane felt very sluggish and acted as if it did not want to come off the water. Postaccident weight and balance calculations revealed that the airplane was about 57 lbs over its maximum gross weight and outside of the weight and center of gravity limits contained in the pilot's operating handbook. Data retrieved from the airplane's onboard digital-to-analogue converter were consistent with three takeoff attempts, with the airplane becoming airborne on the third attempt. A review of video of the accident flight from witnesses showed the airplane in a nose-high attitude with the flaps extended as it approached trees during the initial climb. As the airplane reached about the midpoint of a stand of trees, the angle of attack appeared to increase and the nose dropped. The right wing then lowered and impacted one of the trees.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Aircraft loading event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › CG/weight distribution › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,508 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,360 as pilot in command; 1,606 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 6, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 620 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 3, 2019; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,510 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 620 hours total
- Operator: Icon Aircraft Incorporated
The flight
- Departed from: n/a Lake MI
- Destination: n/a Lake MI
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | PIC Interview | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | PIC Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Passenger Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Weight and Balance Information | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Recorded Flight Data - Group Chairman's Factual Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Recorded Flight Data - Attachment 1 (Tabular Data for Event Flight) | data file | Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Video 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Video 2 | PDF, 1 page | 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.