Aviat A-1B accident near Drummond Island, Michigan, September 11, 2005
On September 11, 2005 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Aviat A-1B, registered N7QR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Drummond Island, Michigan. 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 adequately compensate for the wind conditions, his failure to perform a go-around, and he flared improperly. Factors included the downdraft and the shoreline.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2005 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Drummond Island, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1B
- Registration
- N7QR · registry record · serial 2013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The float-equipped airplane sustained substantial damage during a water landing on a sheltered bay. The pilot reported that he decided to land on a bay that he had landed on many times previously. The pilot reported that the water on the bay was calm and sheltered from the wind. During the approach he experienced wind buffets as he flew over the tress. He reported, "We then experienced a downdraft which I tried to hold off the floats, but the right float hit hard, veering the plane to the right." The airplane began to porpoise up and down toward the shore. He attempted to stop the porpoising by pulling back on the stick. The airplane impacted the rocky shoreline and nosed over. The inspection of the flight control system did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,086 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y66 Drummond Island MI at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.