What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-05-22 N218RD, DHC-2 beaver, on amphibious edo floats, departed warroad MN (krrt) for a 37 mile flight to Sunset Lodge on Oak Island in the northwest angle area of MN.
At 1830L, the aircraft lined up for final to land in the bay just south of the Lodge. The PIC stated that the gear indicator lights showed gear up and that there is not one light for each wheel, but 2 lights total. His flying partner had removed his shoulder harness to video tape the landing. The pic's girlfriend was in the back seat.
Upon touchdown the nose dug in and the aircraft immediately went up on it's nose. The PIC stated that he and the front seat passenger egressed the aircraft. However, the aircraft was floating nose down, tail straight up and maintained this position for a few minutes before the tail came down and the aircraft was upside down. The passenger in the back seat was hanging in the seatbelt and could not release herself. As the tail came down the PIC was able to reach in and release the aft passenger's belt, and assist in her egress.
The passenger in the copilot seat suffered a neck injury on initial impact, but it was unclear to him what he impacted for the nose dug in very quickly. The PIC got out and was uninjured. The passenger in the back suffered belt bruising.
The passenger with the neck injury was placed in a boat on top of a mattress and driven over 8 miles of open Water. He then was ground transported through Canada and after approximately 7 hours reached the hospital in roseau, MN. His condition required immediate airlift to a larger hospital in fargo, ND. He spent 5 days hospitalized. This level of injury is causal to this incident being classified as an accident, with minor damage to the aircraft.
The PIC stated that after they did a post crash inspection a leak in left main hydraulic actuator was discovered. He believes this would have caused release of hydraulic pressure allowing for the left main wheel to hang down during the landing. Post crash pictures showed that the single left wheel was down. The right main wheel and front tires were retracted. Hand pumping the system you could see the hydraulic fluid squirting out of the left main actuator. The passenger who is also a pilot, did state that the PIC added fluid to the main hydraulic resevoir for the system prior to this flight presumably due to a lower than desired level.
As the FAA filed it
2021-05-22 N218RD, DHC-2 BEAVER, ON AMPHIBIOUS EDO FLOATS, DEPARTED WARROAD MN (KRRT) FOR A 37 MILE FLIGHT TO SUNSET LODGE ON OAK ISLAND IN THE NORTHWEST ANGLE AREA OF MN.
AT 1830L, THE AIRCRAFT LINED UP FOR FINAL TO LAND IN THE BAY JUST SOUTH OF THE LODGE. THE PIC STATED THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS SHOWED GEAR UP AND THAT THERE IS NOT ONE LIGHT FOR EACH WHEEL, BUT 2 LIGHTS TOTAL. HIS FLYING PARTNER HAD REMOVED HIS SHOULDER HARNESS TO VIDEO TAPE THE LANDING. THE PIC'S GIRLFRIEND WAS IN THE BACK SEAT.
UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE DUG IN AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY WENT UP ON IT'S NOSE. THE PIC STATED THAT HE AND THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOATING NOSE DOWN, TAIL STRAIGHT UP AND MAINTAINED THIS POSITION FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE TAIL CAME DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS UPSIDE DOWN. THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT WAS HANGING IN THE SEATBELT AND COULD NOT RELEASE HERSELF. AS THE TAIL CAME DOWN THE PIC WAS ABLE TO REACH IN AND RELEASE THE AFT PASSENGER'S BELT, AND ASSIST IN HER EGRESS.
THE PASSENGER IN THE COPILOT SEAT SUFFERED A NECK INJURY ON INITIAL IMPACT, BUT IT WAS UNCLEAR TO HIM WHAT HE IMPACTED FOR THE NOSE DUG IN VERY QUICKLY. THE PIC GOT OUT AND WAS UNINJURED. THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK SUFFERED BELT BRUISING.
THE PASSENGER WITH THE NECK INJURY WAS PLACED IN A BOAT ON TOP OF A MATTRESS AND DRIVEN OVER 8 MILES OF OPEN WATER. HE THEN WAS GROUND TRANSPORTED THROUGH CANADA AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY 7 HOURS REACHED THE HOSPITAL IN ROSEAU, MN. HIS CONDITION REQUIRED IMMEDIATE AIRLIFT TO A LARGER HOSPITAL IN FARGO, ND. HE SPENT 5 DAYS HOSPITALIZED. THIS LEVEL OF INJURY IS CAUSAL TO THIS INCIDENT BEING CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT, WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PIC STATED THAT AFTER THEY DID A POST CRASH INSPECTION A LEAK IN LEFT MAIN HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR WAS DISCOVERED. HE BELIEVES THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED RELEASE OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ALLOWING FOR THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TO HANG DOWN DURING THE LANDING. POST CRASH PICTURES SHOWED THAT THE SINGLE LEFT WHEEL WAS DOWN. THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL AND FRONT TIRES WERE RETRACTED. HAND PUMPING THE SYSTEM YOU COULD SEE THE HYDRAULIC FLUID SQUIRTING OUT OF THE LEFT MAIN ACTUATOR. THE PASSENGER WHO IS ALSO A PILOT, DID STATE THAT THE PIC ADDED FLUID TO THE MAIN HYDRAULIC RESEVOIR FOR THE SYSTEM PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT PRESUMABLY DUE TO A LOWER THAN DESIRED LEVEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.