What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While attempting a water landing on Moses Lake, Moses Lake, Washington north of interstate I-90. Pilot approached the lake from the west on the base leg for a southerly landing. Witness report indicates a steep left turning descent that brought the aircraft close into shoreline at a 45-degree angle to shoreline. When the aircraft touchdown it was at a high rate of speed and too close to shore with no option to turn away from shore as terrain to south now prevented a right turn. Piloted attempted to take-off but could not out climb terrain on shoreline, was able to fly between the houses on the shoreline but struck a tree in a yard with left float and flipped over in the air and landed on the ground on top of the wings resulting in substantial damaged to floats, wings, empennage, and tail surfaces. All three occupants got out through side window and were uninjured. Only damage to property on ground was to tree struck by aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ATTEMPTING A WATER LANDING ON MOSES LAKE, MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON NORTH OF INTERSTATE I-90. PILOT APPROACHED THE LAKE FROM THE WEST ON THE BASE LEG FOR A SOUTHERLY LANDING. WITNESS REPORT INDICATES A STEEP LEFT TURNING DESCENT THAT BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT CLOSE INTO SHORELINE AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO SHORELINE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHDOWN IT WAS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND TOO CLOSE TO SHORE WITH NO OPTION TO TURN AWAY FROM SHORE AS TERRAIN TO SOUTH NOW PREVENTED A RIGHT TURN. PILOTED ATTEMPTED TO TAKE-OFF BUT COULD NOT OUT CLIMB TERRAIN ON SHORELINE, WAS ABLE TO FLY BETWEEN THE HOUSES ON THE SHORELINE BUT STRUCK A TREE IN A YARD WITH LEFT FLOAT AND FLIPPED OVER IN THE AIR AND LANDED ON THE GROUND ON TOP OF THE WINGS RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED TO FLOATS, WINGS, EMPENNAGE, AND TAIL SURFACES. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS GOT OUT THROUGH SIDE WINDOW AND WERE UNINJURED. ONLY DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON GROUND WAS TO TREE STRUCK BY AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.