What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N818CT, a Cessna 206 equipped with wipline 3730 amphibious floats landed at Cherry Lake (elev 2700' MSL) in tuolumne county, CA after a flight from columbia, CA from a paved runway. VFR conditions prevailed and the pilot reported calm winds and glassy water conditions. The pilot stated that he made a glassy water approach (power on/minimum sink rate) in a westerly direction towards the dam, and upon touch down noted that the bows/nose went down followed by the airplane becoming inverted in the water. The airplane cabin rapidly filled with water. The pilot's wife and 18 month old child (seated in rear) were able to exit the airplane by crawling through the copilot's window. The pilot exited through the pilot's door and subsequently rescued a 3 year old child who had been in a child seat secured in the co-pilot's seat. The pilot stated he retracted the gear after takeoff and verified it was retracted (using position lights in cockpit) prior to landing on the lake. The airplane was found in the lake with the gear extended, the gear handle up, and gear cb's open. Landing on water with gear extended in an amphibian will result in an immediate upset to an inverted position. The floats will prevent sinking.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N818CT, A CESSNA 206 EQUIPPED WITH WIPLINE 3730 AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS LANDED AT CHERRY LAKE (ELEV 2700' MSL) IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CA AFTER A FLIGHT FROM COLUMBIA, CA FROM A PAVED RUNWAY. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE PILOT REPORTED CALM WINDS AND GLASSY WATER CONDITIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE A GLASSY WATER APPROACH (POWER ON/MINIMUM SINK RATE) IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS THE DAM, AND UPON TOUCH DOWN NOTED THAT THE BOWS/NOSE WENT DOWN FOLLOWED BY THE AIRPLANE BECOMING INVERTED IN THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE CABIN RAPIDLY FILLED WITH WATER. THE PILOT'S WIFE AND 18 MONTH OLD CHILD (SEATED IN REAR) WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE BY CRAWLING THROUGH THE COPILOT'S WINDOW. THE PILOT EXITED THROUGH THE PILOT'S DOOR AND SUBSEQUENTLY RESCUED A 3 YEAR OLD CHILD WHO HAD BEEN IN A CHILD SEAT SECURED IN THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT. THE PILOT STATED HE RETRACTED THE GEAR AFTER TAKEOFF AND VERIFIED IT WAS RETRACTED (USING POSITION LIGHTS IN COCKPIT) PRIOR TO LANDING ON THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND IN THE LAKE WITH THE GEAR EXTENDED, THE GEAR HANDLE UP, AND GEAR CB'S OPEN. LANDING ON WATER WITH GEAR EXTENDED IN AN AMPHIBIAN WILL RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE UPSET TO AN INVERTED POSITION. THE FLOATS WILL PREVENT SINKING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.