What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After departing from a land airstrip near the accident site with four passengers, the pilot proceeded to conduct a scenic flight which included a "float landing." The flight lasted approximately 15 minutes from takeoff to landing. The aircraft approached the lake from the south and made a pattern over the landing area from south to north. The landing gear was observed to be in the down position (extended) by witnesses on the ground. The aircraft was then observed to enter a left orbit pattern and then a final approach on a northerly landing. The landing gear weas observed to be in the extended position during this phase of the landing as well. The aircraft touched down on the water, it flipped over on its nose (apparently due to the landing gear being extended), coming to rest upside down. One of the passengers in the aircraft remembers hearing a "male voice"-there is a gear advisory installed on the aircraft. Another passenger recalled the pilot pushing a button after that. This silenced the warning. FAA safety recommendation: require float equipped aircraft to have emergency exits that can be opened from inside and outside the aircraft. Rescuers could not get into the aircraft because doors locked.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER DEPARTING FROM A LAND AIRSTRIP NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WITH FOUR PASSENGERS, THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT A SCENIC FLIGHT WHICH INCLUDED A "FLOAT LANDING." THE FLIGHT LASTED APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES FROM TAKEOFF TO LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE LAKE FROM THE SOUTH AND MADE A PATTERN OVER THE LANDING AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. THE LANDING GEAR WAS OBSERVED TO BE IN THE DOWN POSITION (EXTENDED) BY WITNESSES ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO ENTER A LEFT ORBIT PATTERN AND THEN A FINAL APPROACH ON A NORTHERLY LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR WEAS OBSERVED TO BE IN THE EXTENDED POSITION DURING THIS PHASE OF THE LANDING AS WELL. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE WATER, IT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS NOSE (APPARENTLY DUE TO THE LANDING GEAR BEING EXTENDED), COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS IN THE AIRCRAFT REMEMBERS HEARING A "MALE VOICE"-THERE IS A GEAR ADVISORY INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. ANOTHER PASSENGER RECALLED THE PILOT PUSHING A BUTTON AFTER THAT. THIS SILENCED THE WARNING. FAA SAFETY RECOMMENDATION: REQUIRE FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT TO HAVE EMERGENCY EXITS THAT CAN BE OPENED FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT. RESCUERS COULD NOT GET INTO THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE DOORS LOCKED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.