Amateur-built II accident near Fenton, Michigan, July 17, 2015
On July 17, 2015 at about 11:32 pm local time, a amateur-built II, registered N1204A, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Fenton, 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 failure of the student pilot to ensure that the experimental seaplane was airworthy prior to take off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2015 · about 11:32 pm local time
- Place
- Fenton, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built II
- Registration
- N1204A · no longer on the register · serial AP2A0008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In an email sent to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI), by the student pilot, he reported that the experimental seaplane experienced a partial loss of engine power during takeoff about 400 feet above the ground. The student pilot stated that he turned the experimental seaplane toward the lake but as he ran out of "speed," he "pitched it to the right into some trees." A postaccident examination of the engine by the FAA ASI revealed that the fuel supply line to the forward carburetor was cracked and leaking. The cracked portion of the line was about ½ inch outboard of the carburetor fuel intake fitting. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage when it impacted 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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of equipment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Initial instruct/training › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 32 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fenton MI at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KFNT, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 4, 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 Statement (Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1-VIEW of Airplane Prior to Recovery (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2-VIEW of Airplane After Recovery (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 3-VIEW of Cracked Portion of the Fuel Line (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | 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.