Amateur-built MURPHY ELITE accident near Nordman, Idaho, September 9, 2016
On September 9, 2016 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built MURPHY ELITE, registered N567AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Nordman, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The floatplane pilot's improper landing flare during landing on choppy water with a tailwind, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to determine the wind direction before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2016 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nordman, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MURPHY ELITE NO SERIES, built 2002
- Registration
- N567AK · no longer on the register · serial 612E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the touchdown to the north on choppy lake waters the airplane nosed over. The pilot further reported that when he and the passenger egressed from the cockpit and climbed onto the floats he noticed that the wind was 5-7 miles per hour (mph) from the south. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that the pilot should get a "better read of the wind direction" prior to landing.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Choppy surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,027 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 929 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 186.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2A (piston); 162 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEW Deer Park WA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Nordman ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KSZT, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 23, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.