Aviat Aircraft INC A 1 accident near Renton, Washington, June 10, 2018
On June 10, 2018 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2003 Aviat Aircraft INC A 1, registered N352AM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Renton, Washington (Will Rogers Wiley Post Memoria airport). 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 pilot’s inadequate crosswind correction, which resulted in the right wing impacting the water’s surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2018 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Renton, Washington · Will Rogers Wiley Post Memoria · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Aircraft INC A 1 B, built 2003 · all A 1s on the register
- Registration
- N352AM · registry record · serial 2252
- 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 float-equipped airplane reported that, during takeoff from a tower-controlled waterway in gusting crosswind conditions, he felt the wind direction shift as the airplane started to lift off. He added that a strong wind gust then lifted the left wing, and the right wing dipped and impacted the water. He reduced power and shut the engine off. The impact had damaged the float connecting rod. The airplane came to rest upright on both floats, but the left float then separated from the fuselage, and the airplane sank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 1 nautical mile from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 170° at 7 knots with thunderstorms in the vicinity. According to the pilot, the tower had reported the possibility of gusts up to 20 knots. The pilot was departing the waterway to the east/southeast.
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
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Choppy surface › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,103 hours in all; 1,088 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 3, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,120 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 1,120 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W36 Renton WA at 9:36 pm
- Destination: Victoria
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12, 5,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from KRNT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 10, 2018. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Record of Conversation | 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.