What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances in discovery bay, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft has unknown damage. (.4)the 1,100 hour pilot-in-command (PIC), who had just purchased the amphibious RC-3, had no amphibious/floatplane experience. Accompanied by the 4,664 hour flight instructor serving as a safety pilot, the two pilots departed port angeles, Washington, for corvallis, Oregon, with the intention of making practice landings en route. Witnesses observed the aircraft in a smooth, descending, right turn lining up to the north over the south end of discovery bay and headed towards 50 foot power lines which crossed the bay on an east/west line. Just short of the power lines, the aircraft was observed to execute a sharp 90 degree left turn, descend out of control to the water, bounce into the air and then re-enter the water in a steep, nose down attitude. Post-crash examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of airframe or powerplant malfunction. Forward fuselage crush angles confirmed a nose low, left wing low attitude, characteristic of a stall condition upon water impact. A pilot who landed a floatplane near the accident site imm ediately after the crash reported gusty windy conditions. (-23)aircraft was being operated low over discovery bay for purposes of water landing practice for the new owner. Pilots did not see powerlines until almost upon them. Made abrupt turn away from powerlines and lost control of the aircraft. Witnesses stated aircraft was seen descending in left wing low altitude. The aircraft hit the water in a left wing low altitude, bounced, then impacted the water a second time in a steep, nose down altitude coming to rest inverted.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN DISCOVERY BAY, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT HAS UNKNOWN DAMAGE. (.4)THE 1,100 HOUR PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC), WHO HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AMPHIBIOUS RC-3, HAD NO AMPHIBIOUS/FLOATPLANE EXPERIENCE. ACCOMPANIED BY THE 4,664 HOUR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SERVING AS A SAFETY PILOT, THE TWO PILOTS DEPARTED PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON, FOR CORVALLIS, OREGON, WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING PRACTICE LANDINGS EN ROUTE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SMOOTH, DESCENDING, RIGHT TURN LINING UP TO THE NORTH OVER THE SOUTH END OF DISCOVERY BAY AND HEADED TOWARDS 50 FOOT POWER LINES WHICH CROSSED THE BAY ON AN EAST/WEST LINE. JUST SHORT OF THE POWER LINES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO EXECUTE A SHARP 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN, DESCEND OUT OF CONTROL TO THE WATER, BOUNCE INTO THE AIR AND THEN RE-ENTER THE WATER IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF AIRFRAME OR POWERPLANT MALFUNCTION. FORWARD FUSELAGE CRUSH ANGLES CONFIRMED A NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE, CHARACTERISTIC OF A STALL CONDITION UPON WATER IMPACT. A PILOT WHO LANDED A FLOATPLANE NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE IMM EDIATELY AFTER THE CRASH REPORTED GUSTY WINDY CONDITIONS. (-23)AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED LOW OVER DISCOVERY BAY FOR PURPOSES OF WATER LANDING PRACTICE FOR THE NEW OWNER. PILOTS DID NOT SEE POWERLINES UNTIL ALMOST UPON THEM. MADE ABRUPT TURN AWAY FROM POWERLINES AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. WITNESSES STATED AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN DESCENDING IN LEFT WING LOW ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE WATER IN A LEFT WING LOW ALTITUDE, BOUNCED, THEN IMPACTED THE WATER A SECOND TIME IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN ALTITUDE COMING TO REST INVERTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.