What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 10, 1999, at 1520 pacific daylight time, an experimental amphibian wild goose A1, N3451, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from salem, Oregon. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a river near Keizer, Oregon. During the water landing, the aircraft nosed over. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The flight had departed from salem about 20 minutes prior to the accident for a local flight. During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that during the cruise climb with full power applied, the engine suddenly experienced a short roughness and partial power loss. The engine then regained full power, followed by a complete power loss. The second pilot set the aircraft's attitude for best glide, while the first pilot applied carburetor heat and checked the engine gauges and fuel controls. The second pilot turned the aircraft toward an open field, while the first pilot continue d to try and restart the engine. The engine would not start. As the aircraft continued to descend, the pilots realized that because of obstructions, the airplane would not make the open field. The pilot then diverted to the river. The pilot stated that he was utilizing this aircraft as a land plane, and had not retracted the landing gear after takeoff. During the emergency descent, there was not enough time to hand crank the landing gear up before touchdown on the water. The aircraft touched down on the water with the landing gear extended. During the landing, the airplane nosed over. (-23)enroute from sle to 3S2, engine began to run rough. At an altitude of approximately 1200 feet the engine would not make power, and an emergency landing was begun. Pilot made a decision the aircraft would not make the intended spot and set up to land the aircraft in the willamette river. Pilot was unable to retract the landing before aircraft contacted the water, and once on the water the aircraft flipped over on it's back and sunk in approximatelty 8 feet of water.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1999, AT 1520 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMPHIBIAN WILD GOOSE A1, N3451, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM SALEM, OREGON. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A RIVER NEAR KEIZER, OREGON. DURING THE WATER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM SALEM ABOUT 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW AND SUBSEQUENT WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE CRUISE CLIMB WITH FULL POWER APPLIED, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED A SHORT ROUGHNESS AND PARTIAL POWER LOSS. THE ENGINE THEN REGAINED FULL POWER, FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE POWER LOSS. THE SECOND PILOT SET THE AIRCRAFT'S ATTITUDE FOR BEST GLIDE, WHILE THE FIRST PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND CHECKED THE ENGINE GAUGES AND FUEL CONTROLS. THE SECOND PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD AN OPEN FIELD, WHILE THE FIRST PILOT CONTINUE D TO TRY AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND, THE PILOTS REALIZED THAT BECAUSE OF OBSTRUCTIONS, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAKE THE OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT THEN DIVERTED TO THE RIVER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UTILIZING THIS AIRCRAFT AS A LAND PLANE, AND HAD NOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AFTER TAKEOFF. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO HAND CRANK THE LANDING GEAR UP BEFORE TOUCHDOWN ON THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE WATER WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. (-23)ENROUTE FROM SLE TO 3S2, ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET THE ENGINE WOULD NOT MAKE POWER, AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS BEGUN. PILOT MADE A DECISION THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAKE THE INTENDED SPOT AND SET UP TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE WILLAMETTE RIVER. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE LANDING BEFORE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE WATER, AND ONCE ON THE WATER THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK AND SUNK IN APPROXIMATELTY 8 FEET OF WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.