Icon A5 accident near Duluth, Minnesota, June 3, 2020
On June 3, 2020 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2019 Icon A5, registered N838BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Duluth, Minnesota (Sky Harbor Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remove an object from the airplane’s exterior, which impacted the propeller blades when he applied full power, causing them to fracture and damage the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2020 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Duluth, Minnesota · Sky Harbor Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Icon A5, built 2019
- Registration
- N838BA · registry record · serial 00114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied the amphibian airplane downwind on the water for takeoff. When facing into the wind, he applied full power; about 5 seconds later, he heard a "loud bang." The propeller blades separated and penetrated the fuselage, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage. The pilot reported that, immediately before the accident flight, he had placed a portable speaker on the top of the airplane and did not recall removing the speaker before departure. The pilot stated, "the speaker must have rolled over the engine compartment and into the propellers." It is likely that the audio speaker, which was left on the airplane, struck the propeller blades, which resulted in the propeller blades separating from the propeller and penetrating the fuselage.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller blade section › Damaged/degraded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 125.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 30, 2020
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 IS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDYT Duluth MN
- Destination: KDYT Duluth MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KDYT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 24, 2020. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 2 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.