What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Pilot departed lake missaukee for the cadillac Michigan airport (cad), a distance of about 8NM for the purpose of purchasing fuel. The pilot's wife occupied the left seat and the pilot's father was in one to the aft seats. As the pilot neared cadillac he positioned the gear selector in the down position. The gear up lights extinguished but the gear down lights did not illuminate. The aircraft was equipped with edo amphibian floats which were equipped with a mechanical gear position indicator located on top of each float and visible from the cockpit. The pilot did not look at these even though he suspected a gear problem. He then pulled the circuit breaked for the gear hydraulic pump and attempted to pump the gear up or down indication which would indicate that the gear was in transit. The gear was extended but probably not locked down, the pilot elected to land in lake missaukee, the aircraft flipped over, only the inverted floats being visible above the surface. The three occupants were rescued by a passing boat,there were no injuries. (.19)on may 5, 2001, at 1745 eastern daylight time (EDT), N744LS, a Maule m -7-235B floatplane, operated by a private pilot, flipped over and sank while landing on lake missaukee, near Lake City, Michigan. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from lake missaukee, at 1645 EDT.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)PILOT DEPARTED LAKE MISSAUKEE FOR THE CADILLAC MICHIGAN AIRPORT (CAD), A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 8NM FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING FUEL. THE PILOT'S WIFE OCCUPIED THE LEFT SEAT AND THE PILOT'S FATHER WAS IN ONE TO THE AFT SEATS. AS THE PILOT NEARED CADILLAC HE POSITIONED THE GEAR SELECTOR IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR UP LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED BUT THE GEAR DOWN LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH EDO AMPHIBIAN FLOATS WHICH WERE EQUIPPED WITH A MECHANICAL GEAR POSITION INDICATOR LOCATED ON TOP OF EACH FLOAT AND VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT DID NOT LOOK AT THESE EVEN THOUGH HE SUSPECTED A GEAR PROBLEM. HE THEN PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKED FOR THE GEAR HYDRAULIC PUMP AND ATTEMPTED TO PUMP THE GEAR UP OR DOWN INDICATION WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT THE GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED BUT PROBABLY NOT LOCKED DOWN, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN LAKE MISSAUKEE, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER, ONLY THE INVERTED FLOATS BEING VISIBLE ABOVE THE SURFACE. THE THREE OCCUPANTS WERE RESCUED BY A PASSING BOAT,THERE WERE NO INJURIES. (.19)ON MAY 5, 2001, AT 1745 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), N744LS, A MAULE M -7-235B FLOATPLANE, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, FLIPPED OVER AND SANK WHILE LANDING ON LAKE MISSAUKEE, NEAR LAKE CITY, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAKE MISSAUKEE, AT 1645 EDT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.