AOPA’s Air Safety Institute Releases Seaplane Accident Analysis Report

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new seaplane accident analysis report.

The Seaplane Accident Analysis Report 2008 – 2022 was funded in part by the Seaplane Pilots Association. It offers a detailed accident analysis and addresses flight conditions and fleet composition, accident causes, NTSB findings, a targeted training and prevention discussion, and recommendations to reduce the number of accident occurrences.

The report notes that abnormal runway contact dominates seaplane accident causes—these mainly occur during landing (90 percent), with many resulting from gear-down water landings. However, loss of control in flight is the deadliest accident cause and given seaplanes’ unique operating environment, the maneuvering phase is where most of these accidents occur.

“Seaplanes are highly capable and uniquely suited for a wide variety of operations, but seaplane flying carries additional risk—due to the environment in which they operate—when not flown safely by proficient seaplane pilots,” said Robert Geske, AOPA Air Safety Institute manager of aviation safety analysis.

Geske continued, “During the report period, we saw 406 seaplane accidents with 77 ending in fatalities. For reference, general aviation accidents during the same period averaged 1,200 to 1,500 with 200 ending in a fatality.”

“The seaplane fleet makes up less than five percent of all general aviation aircraft, so understanding these types of accidents is valuable to the seaplane community,” Geske concluded.

View the report here.

View other accident analysis reports here.