ERA18LA204 · Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY

The private pilot took off in the experimental, amateur-built amphibious airplane from a river, which was about 100 ft wide and lined with trees on both sides, and initiated a right 180° turn. He then made a left teardrop turn about 50 ft above ground level over a flat cornfield to make a 45° re-entry to land back on the river. When the airplane crossed over the river's shoreline, the pilot attempted to turn left and line up with the river; however, according to the pilot, the control stick would not move past the vertical position. He added power, but the airplane was unable to climb above trees on the opposite side of the river. The airplane collided with the trees and descended into the water. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed both wings had been removed during recovery, but the flight controls moved freely when manually manipulated. The pilot said the airplane's automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) component, which was attached to the control panel via a suction cup, may have come loose during the flight and become caught under the flight control assembly, thus jamming the flight controls. He demonstrated how an object could get caught under the controls; however, neither he nor the passenger could confirm that this happened on the accident flight, and examination of the ADS-B component did not reveal any physical damage. The pilot said that he would normally climb above the surrounding terrain before coming back to land; however, during this flight, he did not give himself an "out" in case of an emergency. His decision to maneuver the airplane below surrounding terrain in a confined area left insufficient altitude to troubleshoot a perceived flight control issue, and he was unable to remain clear of trees.

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset