What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot taking wife on pleasure flight. On approach to water landing, pilot extended landing gear. On touchdown, extended landing gear caused airplane to nose over, then submerge ending up inverted below the surface. Pilot was able to use emergency exit procedures to extract himself and his wife from airplane, while underwater and airplane inverted. Pilot refused medical treatment, stating that he and his wife only had minor scrapes and bruises. Passenger (wife) was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Aircraft suffered substantial damage to forward section, wing struts, distorted wing structure, and landing gear. Additional damage during recovery was substantial, crushing aft fuselage and wings. Engine apparently suffered hydraulic lock, entering the water running and sudden stoppage to prop/engine.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT TAKING WIFE ON PLEASURE FLIGHT. ON APPROACH TO WATER LANDING, PILOT EXTENDED LANDING GEAR. ON TOUCHDOWN, EXTENDED LANDING GEAR CAUSED AIRPLANE TO NOSE OVER, THEN SUBMERGE ENDING UP INVERTED BELOW THE SURFACE. PILOT WAS ABLE TO USE EMERGENCY EXIT PROCEDURES TO EXTRACT HIMSELF AND HIS WIFE FROM AIRPLANE, WHILE UNDERWATER AND AIRPLANE INVERTED. PILOT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT, STATING THAT HE AND HIS WIFE ONLY HAD MINOR SCRAPES AND BRUISES. PASSENGER (WIFE) WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO FORWARD SECTION, WING STRUTS, DISTORTED WING STRUCTURE, AND LANDING GEAR. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DURING RECOVERY WAS SUBSTANTIAL, CRUSHING AFT FUSELAGE AND WINGS. ENGINE APPARENTLY SUFFERED HYDRAULIC LOCK, ENTERING THE WATER RUNNING AND SUDDEN STOPPAGE TO PROP/ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.