What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-5) Aircraft departed Goodspeed Airport, (42B) runway 32, climbed out north up river with walter a. johnson as (PIC), alton fitzgerald (CFI) in rt. Fwd. Seat, and joseph rizzo in the right rear seat. After clearing the bridge and power lines they set up for a river landing straight ahead. Upon water touch touchdown the aircraft experienced a sudden deceleration, the floats began to sink nose first and water began entering the cockpit thru the front windshield. As the aircraft tail went vertical all souls exited the aircraft and were picked up by a waiting boat. The aircraft went inverted and sank with the floats partially submerged. The landing gear was never retracted and remained in the down position.
As the FAA filed it
(-5) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GOODSPEED AIRPORT, (42B) RUNWAY 32, CLIMBED OUT NORTH UP RIVER WITH WALTER A. JOHNSON AS (PIC), ALTON FITZGERALD (CFI) IN RT. FWD. SEAT, AND JOSEPH RIZZO IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT. AFTER CLEARING THE BRIDGE AND POWER LINES THEY SET UP FOR A RIVER LANDING STRAIGHT AHEAD. UPON WATER TOUCH TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN DECELERATION, THE FLOATS BEGAN TO SINK NOSE FIRST AND WATER BEGAN ENTERING THE COCKPIT THRU THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. AS THE AIRCRAFT TAIL WENT VERTICAL ALL SOULS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE PICKED UP BY A WAITING BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INVERTED AND SANK WITH THE FLOATS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED. THE LANDING GEAR WAS NEVER RETRACTED AND REMAINED IN THE DOWN POSITION.
Other reports on N3385L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.