Amateur-built SEAREY LSX accident near Electric City, Washington, May 24, 2014
On May 24, 2014 at about 11:50 pm local time, a 2013 amateur-built SEAREY LSX, registered N249PW, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Electric City, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control during takeoff after encountering a boat wake, which resulted in the airplane bouncing, impacting the water’s surface, and subsequently becoming submerged.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2014 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Electric City, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEAREY LSX NO SERIES, built 2013
- Registration
- N249PW · no longer on the register · serial 1LK485C
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses, the private pilot of the experimental, amateur-built, high-wing, amphibious airplane was attempting to take off from the lake, which was choppy due to numerous boat wakes. Witnesses reported that the airplane started a high-speed run but that the engine then throttled back, and the airplane turned toward the beach. The airplane then abruptly turned 180 degrees and started another high-speed run. While on the step for the final takeoff attempt, the airplane encountered a boat wake, bounced 4 to 5 ft, and then abruptly nosed down into the lake. The airplane came to an abrupt stop with a 20- to 30-ft-high splash. When witnesses arrived in their boats, the airplane's high wings were level with the water's surface, and the aft-facing, pylon-mounted engine was still running. Swimmers entered the water and recovered the pilot from the submerged cabin. Shortly thereafter, the airplane sank. The submerged airplane could not be located during a subsequent search by local law enforcement, and the wreckage was not recovered.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 861 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Electric City WA
- Destination: Monroe WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 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 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photographs | PDF, 5 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.