What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a lake and came to rest inverted while attempting to land at Clear Lake park, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)on landing at clearlake, CA, pilot stated that everything was normal. Toughdown on lake was smooth. Then the aircraft suddenly veered to the left and overturned. Winds were light and variable with no white caps. (.4)on August 17, 1999, at 1609 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna tu 206G on floats, N206RR, sustained substantial damage when it overturned during a water landing on Clear Lake at Clear Lake, California. The private pilot/owner operated the personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane departed san carlos, California, about 1515. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated he has a home near Clear Lake and flew there frequently. He estimated he accomplished approximately 200 landings on the lake. He said the touchdown was smooth, the airplane suddenly veered to the left, and overturned. He said the winds were light and variable and there were no white caps. A visual inspection had been completed on the floats the day before, and the pilot stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The federal aviation administration (FAA) accident coordinator inspected the airplane and observed a fracture and separation of the spreader bar at the front left pontoon attach point. The fracture area was corroded. He noted this area could only be observed because the pontoon was split open, exposing the attach point. The FAA inspector stated that he did not think a mechanic could normally inspect this area unless the floats were removed.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A LAKE AND CAME TO REST INVERTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT CLEAR LAKE PARK, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)ON LANDING AT CLEARLAKE, CA, PILOT STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. TOUGHDOWN ON LAKE WAS SMOOTH. THEN THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE LEFT AND OVERTURNED. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE WITH NO WHITE CAPS. (.4)ON AUGUST 17, 1999, AT 1609 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA TU 206G ON FLOATS, N206RR, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT OVERTURNED DURING A WATER LANDING ON CLEAR LAKE AT CLEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER OPERATED THE PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1515. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED HE HAS A HOME NEAR CLEAR LAKE AND FLEW THERE FREQUENTLY. HE ESTIMATED HE ACCOMPLISHED APPROXIMATELY 200 LANDINGS ON THE LAKE. HE SAID THE TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH, THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND OVERTURNED. HE SAID THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AND THERE WERE NO WHITE CAPS. A VISUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON THE FLOATS THE DAY BEFORE, AND THE PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) ACCIDENT COORDINATOR INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND OBSERVED A FRACTURE AND SEPARATION OF THE SPREADER BAR AT THE FRONT LEFT PONTOON ATTACH POINT. THE FRACTURE AREA WAS CORRODED. HE NOTED THIS AREA COULD ONLY BE OBSERVED BECAUSE THE PONTOON WAS SPLIT OPEN, EXPOSING THE ATTACH POINT. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK A MECHANIC COULD NORMALLY INSPECT THIS AREA UNLESS THE FLOATS WERE REMOVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.