What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N1982P, a single engine Piper super club was on a day VFR pleasure flight departing from the Peter o. Knight airport. The pilots intent was to make low altitude passes in front of his bay front home in Tampa bay, Florida. At 120 feet MSL the pilot entered a right turn to pass in front of his home. During the turn, a gust of wind caused a momentary loss of control. Pilot indicated that he had lost at least 40 feet of altitude during the event and elected to make a water landing. The aircraft landed with the landing gear on the floats in the down position. Upon touching down on water, plane flipped and sank in approximately 15 feet of water. Pilot exited through windshield and was picked up by nearby boater.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N1982P, A SINGLE ENGINE PIPER SUPER CLUB WAS ON A DAY VFR PLEASURE FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM THE PETER O. KNIGHT AIRPORT. THE PILOTS INTENT WAS TO MAKE LOW ALTITUDE PASSES IN FRONT OF HIS BAY FRONT HOME IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA. AT 120 FEET MSL THE PILOT ENTERED A RIGHT TURN TO PASS IN FRONT OF HIS HOME. DURING THE TURN, A GUST OF WIND CAUSED A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD LOST AT LEAST 40 FEET OF ALTITUDE DURING THE EVENT AND ELECTED TO MAKE A WATER LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR ON THE FLOATS IN THE DOWN POSITION. UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON WATER, PLANE FLIPPED AND SANK IN APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET OF WATER. PILOT EXITED THROUGH WINDSHIELD AND WAS PICKED UP BY NEARBY BOATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.