What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Weather at the time of the accident was VFR, wind was calm. N4801W is an experimental amateur built amphibious airplane. The pilot privacy data omitted, builder of N4801W, stated that the approach to a downstream landing in the pool below lock and dam #6 in the allegheny river was to glassy river, and that he used the left river bank for depth perception. Landing was to a normal touchdown immediately followed by extremely rapid pitch rotation nose down to a vertical attitude, windshield failure, immersion of cockpit area in river, and partial sinking of the aircraft. The pilot also stated that landing gear was checked up and locked before a previous landing in pool above lock and dam #6 and again before final aproach to the final landing. The landing gear was observed in a down and locked position during manipulation of the aircraft as it was towed from the river. A first responder and pilot indicated the landing gear was not fully extended in the water, but that he heard and felt the over center locks engage in the down and locked position as the team was manually maneuvering the aircraft to extricate it from the water onto a trailer.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VFR, WIND WAS CALM. N4801W IS AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AMPHIBIOUS AIRPLANE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, BUILDER OF N4801W, STATED THAT THE APPROACH TO A DOWNSTREAM LANDING IN THE POOL BELOW LOCK AND DAM #6 IN THE ALLEGHENY RIVER WAS TO GLASSY RIVER, AND THAT HE USED THE LEFT RIVER BANK FOR DEPTH PERCEPTION. LANDING WAS TO A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY EXTREMELY RAPID PITCH ROTATION NOSE DOWN TO A VERTICAL ATTITUDE, WINDSHIELD FAILURE, IMMERSION OF COCKPIT AREA IN RIVER, AND PARTIAL SINKING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT LANDING GEAR WAS CHECKED UP AND LOCKED BEFORE A PREVIOUS LANDING IN POOL ABOVE LOCK AND DAM #6 AND AGAIN BEFORE FINAL APROACH TO THE FINAL LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR WAS OBSERVED IN A DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION DURING MANIPULATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WAS TOWED FROM THE RIVER. A FIRST RESPONDER AND PILOT INDICATED THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED IN THE WATER, BUT THAT HE HEARD AND FELT THE OVER CENTER LOCKS ENGAGE IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AS THE TEAM WAS MANUALLY MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT TO EXTRICATE IT FROM THE WATER ONTO A TRAILER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.