What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Skipped three times on water landing. Pontoon dug in. Flipped over. Floated. Blamed gusty surface winds. No sea rat (-23) at approimately 1708Z, on may 28, 1996, the pilot contacted princeton fss to cancel his flight plan. Princeton fss informed the pilot the flight plan was canceled as he was 50 minutes overdue, and asked the pilot if there was anything else. The pilot then requested winds aloft information. After princeton gave the winds aloft information, the pilot ended the communication by responding, "thank you very much." Princeton did not give destination weather, nor did the pilot request it. This is not considered a factor, as the pilot, in an interview with FAA aviation safety inspectors, indicated awareness of turbulent conditions during the flight from baudette, MN. Mr. David kleven of princeton fss qac is aware of this. In the interview, the pilot also indicated he did not get a preflight briefing. During a downstream water landing towards the south on the Mississippi river (near Wipline seaplane base) in Inver grover heights, MN, the pilot lost control of the float equipped Cessna 206. An eyewitness (james g. black of wipaire 612-451 -1205) and the passenger confirmed the pilots report of gusty wind conditions. The witness and passenger indicated the aircraft bounced three times, on the third time, a pontoon dug into the water, resulting in the aircraft flipping over on its back. The forward portion of the right pontoon broke off, floated down river until it was picked up by persons in a boat. The pilot reported he exited the aircraft under water; discovered the only passenger, his sister did not get out of the aircraft, he then went back in the plane to assist her. The two then climbed on the pontoon structure and floated with the aircraft down river until it caught on a buoy. Persons in a pleasure boat picked them up and gave them a ride to the wipaire dock. The aircraft remained afloat, caught on the buoy, with the floats partially visible, until it was salvaged. The pilot, passenger and an eyewitness indicated no mechanical problems noted with the aircraft. The pilot attributed the accident to gusty wind conditions. Passenger's name/address/phone/injuries -judy gallaty/privacy data omitted injuries-minor (bruises).
As the FAA filed it
SKIPPED THREE TIMES ON WATER LANDING. PONTOON DUG IN. FLIPPED OVER. FLOATED. BLAMED GUSTY SURFACE WINDS. NO SEA RAT (-23) AT APPROIMATELY 1708Z, ON MAY 28, 1996, THE PILOT CONTACTED PRINCETON FSS TO CANCEL HIS FLIGHT PLAN. PRINCETON FSS INFORMED THE PILOT THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS CANCELED AS HE WAS 50 MINUTES OVERDUE, AND ASKED THE PILOT IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE. THE PILOT THEN REQUESTED WINDS ALOFT INFORMATION. AFTER PRINCETON GAVE THE WINDS ALOFT INFORMATION, THE PILOT ENDED THE COMMUNICATION BY RESPONDING, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH." PRINCETON DID NOT GIVE DESTINATION WEATHER, NOR DID THE PILOT REQUEST IT. THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED A FACTOR, AS THE PILOT, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS, INDICATED AWARENESS OF TURBULENT CONDITIONS DURING THE FLIGHT FROM BAUDETTE, MN. MR. DAVID KLEVEN OF PRINCETON FSS QAC IS AWARE OF THIS. IN THE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT ALSO INDICATED HE DID NOT GET A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING. DURING A DOWNSTREAM WATER LANDING TOWARDS THE SOUTH ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (NEAR WIPLINE SEAPLANE BASE) IN INVER GROVER HEIGHTS, MN, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 206. AN EYEWITNESS (JAMES G. BLACK OF WIPAIRE 612-451 -1205) AND THE PASSENGER CONFIRMED THE PILOTS REPORT OF GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. THE WITNESS AND PASSENGER INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED THREE TIMES, ON THE THIRD TIME, A PONTOON DUG INTO THE WATER, RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER ON ITS BACK. THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT PONTOON BROKE OFF, FLOATED DOWN RIVER UNTIL IT WAS PICKED UP BY PERSONS IN A BOAT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNDER WATER; DISCOVERED THE ONLY PASSENGER, HIS SISTER DID NOT GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT, HE THEN WENT BACK IN THE PLANE TO ASSIST HER. THE TWO THEN CLIMBED ON THE PONTOON STRUCTURE AND FLOATED WITH THE AIRCRAFT DOWN RIVER UNTIL IT CAUGHT ON A BUOY. PERSONS IN A PLEASURE BOAT PICKED THEM UP AND GAVE THEM A RIDE TO THE WIPAIRE DOCK. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED AFLOAT, CAUGHT ON THE BUOY, WITH THE FLOATS PARTIALLY VISIBLE, UNTIL IT WAS SALVAGED. THE PILOT, PASSENGER AND AN EYEWITNESS INDICATED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS NOTED WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED THE ACCIDENT TO GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. PASSENGER'S NAME/ADDRESS/PHONE/INJURIES -JUDY GALLATY/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INJURIES-MINOR (BRUISES).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.