What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Seaplane searey N543SR departed Elfin Cove, AK on July 8th 2015 at 1630 local. He had one passengers on board for a one hour 14 CFR part 91 local flight.
In a written statement the pilot said the weather at departure time was clear with little or no swell. Other witnesses at the time stated that there were small areas of fog. Upon return from the flight the pilot noticed that the wind had blown a small fog bank towards the normal seaplane landing area. The pilot appeared to make four or five separate landing attempts in the normal seaplane landing zone or what is referred to as the outer harbor. The pilot also stated that the water conditions had worsened to the point that it was then unsafe to land in the normal landing zone.
The pilot then attempted to land in the inner harbor cut or slough, a very narrow channel that is used by boats and other marine traffic and kayakers to enter and exit the inner harbor area.
The pilot touched down long and hard and the aircraft became airborne again just as its right wing impacted the stern of a fishing vessel that was parked at a private dock in the inner harbor just to the right of the attempted landing spot. The aircraft's right wing tip hit the back mounted trolling pole on the boat and tore off the end of the wing. The aircraft spun about 180 degrees and settled back into the water.
There was very minor damage to the fishing boat with aircraft wing pieces spread around the stern of the boat.
After the aircraft came to a complete stop the pilot taxied to his private float in the inner harbor and tied up the aircraft.
There were no injuries to either the aircraft pilot, passenger or persons on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
SEAPLANE SEAREY N543SR DEPARTED ELFIN COVE, AK ON JULY 8TH 2015 AT 1630 LOCAL. HE HAD ONE PASSENGERS ON BOARD FOR A ONE HOUR 14 CFR PART 91 LOCAL FLIGHT.
IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THE PILOT SAID THE WEATHER AT DEPARTURE TIME WAS CLEAR WITH LITTLE OR NO SWELL. OTHER WITNESSES AT THE TIME STATED THAT THERE WERE SMALL AREAS OF FOG. UPON RETURN FROM THE FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE WIND HAD BLOWN A SMALL FOG BANK TOWARDS THE NORMAL SEAPLANE LANDING AREA. THE PILOT APPEARED TO MAKE FOUR OR FIVE SEPARATE LANDING ATTEMPTS IN THE NORMAL SEAPLANE LANDING ZONE OR WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE OUTER HARBOR. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE WATER CONDITIONS HAD WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS THEN UNSAFE TO LAND IN THE NORMAL LANDING ZONE.
THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN THE INNER HARBOR CUT OR SLOUGH, A VERY NARROW CHANNEL THAT IS USED BY BOATS AND OTHER MARINE TRAFFIC AND KAYAKERS TO ENTER AND EXIT THE INNER HARBOR AREA.
THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN LONG AND HARD AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN JUST AS ITS RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE STERN OF A FISHING VESSEL THAT WAS PARKED AT A PRIVATE DOCK IN THE INNER HARBOR JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE ATTEMPTED LANDING SPOT. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING TIP HIT THE BACK MOUNTED TROLLING POLE ON THE BOAT AND TORE OFF THE END OF THE WING. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN ABOUT 180 DEGREES AND SETTLED BACK INTO THE WATER.
THERE WAS VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FISHING BOAT WITH AIRCRAFT WING PIECES SPREAD AROUND THE STERN OF THE BOAT.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE PILOT TAXIED TO HIS PRIVATE FLOAT IN THE INNER HARBOR AND TIED UP THE AIRCRAFT.
THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER THE AIRCRAFT PILOT, PASSENGER OR PERSONS ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.