What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I departed karluk portage on the karluk river near larsen bay Alaska at 1357 akd. Terrain is a wide flat river valley with mountains on the outskirts. Winds were light and blowing downriver. I took off upstream. Aircraft was empty and I was the sole occupant. I climbed up to 2500' and headed direct to ayakulik river. Upon arrival over the landing zone, I circled and evaluated the wind as light and variable, the landing zone on the river was glassy. I decided to land downriver. From the downwind leg I turned left into the base leg and transitioned via an oval pattern into final approach. As I was rolling the wings level and starting to level my pitch attitude and set up a glassy water landing attitude, I felt the forward part of the left float touch the water which was then followed by an immediate uncontrolled yaw to the left. The aircraft went up the bank of the river and slid across the tundra hitting several bumps before coming to a stop. I was unhurt, shut off the fuel and master switch. I exited the aircraft and called for help on the satellite phone. The time was approximately 14:20 akd.
As the FAA filed it
I DEPARTED KARLUK PORTAGE ON THE KARLUK RIVER NEAR LARSEN BAY ALASKA AT 1357 AKD. TERRAIN IS A WIDE FLAT RIVER VALLEY WITH MOUNTAINS ON THE OUTSKIRTS. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND BLOWING DOWNRIVER. I TOOK OFF UPSTREAM. AIRCRAFT WAS EMPTY AND I WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT. I CLIMBED UP TO 2500' AND HEADED DIRECT TO AYAKULIK RIVER. UPON ARRIVAL OVER THE LANDING ZONE, I CIRCLED AND EVALUATED THE WIND AS LIGHT AND VARIABLE, THE LANDING ZONE ON THE RIVER WAS GLASSY. I DECIDED TO LAND DOWNRIVER. FROM THE DOWNWIND LEG I TURNED LEFT INTO THE BASE LEG AND TRANSITIONED VIA AN OVAL PATTERN INTO FINAL APPROACH. AS I WAS ROLLING THE WINGS LEVEL AND STARTING TO LEVEL MY PITCH ATTITUDE AND SET UP A GLASSY WATER LANDING ATTITUDE, I FELT THE FORWARD PART OF THE LEFT FLOAT TOUCH THE WATER WHICH WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE UNCONTROLLED YAW TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT WENT UP THE BANK OF THE RIVER AND SLID ACROSS THE TUNDRA HITTING SEVERAL BUMPS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. I WAS UNHURT, SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND MASTER SWITCH. I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED FOR HELP ON THE SATELLITE PHONE. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 14:20 AKD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1544 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.