Weinzierl SEAREY accident near Stanwood, Washington, January 27, 2014
On January 27, 2014, a 2007 Weinzierl SEAREY, registered N669DT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Stanwood, Washington. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from water while maneuvering at a low altitude over glassy water conditions, which adversely affected his depth perception.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2014
- Place
- Stanwood, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weinzierl SEAREY, built 2007
- Registration
- N669DT · registry record · serial 81MK04906
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot reported that, following an uneventful local sightseeing flight, he conducted a low pass over a lake with glassy water conditions; he did not intend to land. The pilot thought the airplane was about 3 or 4 feet above the water when it suddenly skimmed the water's surface. The pilot pulled up, but the airplane subsequently nosed down into the water, and it became partially submerged. It is likely that the glassy water conditions adversely affected the pilot's depth perception, which led to his subsequent failure to judge the height above the water and resulted in the inadvertent touchdown. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Flight time: 65 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 379 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 27, 2013; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 379 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AWO Arlington WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: AWO Arlington WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14LA112.