Amateur-built MAGNUM accident near Beaver Island, Michigan, June 23, 2023
On June 23, 2023 at about 12:44 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built MAGNUM, registered N103DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Beaver Island, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering in low visibility conditions due to smoke and haze.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2023 · about 12:44 pm local time
- Place
- Beaver Island, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MAGNUM, built 1999
- Registration
- N103DG · registry record · serial 6M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local personal sightseeing flight, the pilot was maneuvering the airplane to see a lighthouse on a remote island. Although he reported that he had good visibility and that the water was flat, the airplane inadvertently impacted the surface of the lake. The pilot regained consciousness in the water but had no recollection of the accident. The airplane was submerged in 20 ft of water. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both wings, the floats, and the lower fuselage exhibited significant aft crush damage consistent with a nose low, left-wing low impact with the water. An examination of the engine and airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. According to a surface observation about 6 miles southeast of the accident site, visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Satellite imagery for the accident site indicated cloud cover and lower visibility over most of the lake due to wildfire smoke. The first responders reported that about 15 minutes after the accident there was a lack of contrast on the horizon with smoke, haze, and calm seas, with no discernable horizon visible. The pilot of a rescue helicopter that arrived at the accident site about 30 minutes after the accident confirmed that the smoke and haze, combined with no wind and very calm water, made it impossible to determine where the sky and water met. There was no record that the pilot obtained a weather briefing before the flight. Given the condition of the airplane and the visibility conditions at the time of the accident, it is likely that the pilot was not able to discern between the water and the horizon due to the smoke, haze, and the calm waters which resulted in the inadvertent descent into 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Haze/smoke › Effect on personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,988 hours in all; 389 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 2,988 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 7, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJX Beaver Island MI at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 am from KSJX, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSJX 231235Z AUTO 22003KT 10SM CLR 22/14 A2999 RMK AO2 T02220143
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on June 4, 2025. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Examination Summary | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | US Coast Guard Pilot Statement Emails | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Local Charter Pilot Weather Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Factual Report | PDF, 25 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Attachment 1 | GIF file | Download |
| 7 | Weather Attachment 2 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Weather Attachment 3 | zip file | Download |
| 9 | Weather Attachment 4 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Weather Attachment 5 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Certification of Party Representative | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N103DG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23FA257.