What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot reported that he was landing on the intracoastal waterway when he misjudged the height of the aircraft above the water and touched down in a nose-low attitude. The aircraft flipped over and came to rest inverted in the water. The pilot stated that the mishap was due to "pilot error" and that there was no mechanical problems with the airplane. He described water conditions as smooth and the wind as not being a factor. A law enforcement officer that initially responded to the scene reported that the landing gear was in the retracted position. Visible damage was limited to a crack in the nose of the fiberglass boat hull and a shattered windshield. The aircraft was later damaged extensively during righting and recovery operations. The 1753Z (1253 LCL) METAR for nearby Vero Beach municipal airport (vrb) reported the wind as 100 degrees at 8 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY WHEN HE MISJUDGED THE HEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE WATER AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN THE WATER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE MISHAP WAS DUE TO "PILOT ERROR" AND THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. HE DESCRIBED WATER CONDITIONS AS SMOOTH AND THE WIND AS NOT BEING A FACTOR. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT INITIALLY RESPONDED TO THE SCENE REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A CRACK IN THE NOSE OF THE FIBERGLASS BOAT HULL AND A SHATTERED WINDSHIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER DAMAGED EXTENSIVELY DURING RIGHTING AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS. THE 1753Z (1253 LCL) METAR FOR NEARBY VERO BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (VRB) REPORTED THE WIND AS 100 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.
Other reports on N3365C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.