What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The following is a narrative from the pilot:
The pilot and passenger left ksgs around 1630 on 06-17-2021 to kegv eagle river WI. They looked at several landing spots along the route. "I located a section flowing smoothly, straight, wide and deep, which appeared clear of rock, rapids, or other obstructions. While maneuvering to land on that area, I saw a wire across the river just an instant (1/4 second?)
Before I hit it. I pulled up prior to impact, and believe it impacted on the front inboard chine of the right float just ahead of the spray rail. I believed I snapped the wire because I felt something, then for a brief moment (a second?) There was a great commotion, and instantly it was gone, and the aircraft was flying normally in the climb I had initiated. I spent the next 30 seconds assessing the condition of the aircraft. I could see the walk-across cable between the floats had been broken, the window was damaged, and the windscreen was scratched, but it was still flying fine with no unusual pitch, roll, or yaw tendencies and making normal power. I visually checked the ailerons, floats, and every component on the plane I could
See from the cockpit, and specifically saw the two small vertical stabilizers added when the floats were installed were still attached. After that analysis, I determined an off-field landing was not necessary, used the GPS to find the nearest field, and flew to Ladysmith. I put the gear down about 5 miles out, watched both nosewheels drop, verified four green lights, and landed on runway 32. It took about 15 minutes to get from the scene of the incident to Ladysmith. I taxied to the ramp, shut down, and both the passenger and I got out and looked at the aircraft. All damage appeared cosmetic, except the broken window and walk-across cable. My passenger called his wife to have her come pick him up and he continued to the cabin via her car. We tried to find him a cab but were unsuccessful. I went back to the ramp, looked at the damage to the point
Of impact on the float again, secured the loose cable with tape, performed another walk-around and checked the oil. In my opinion, based on visual inspection of the damage and the 15 minute flight from the scene of the incident to Ladysmith, the airplane was airworthy. I flew it back to the twin cities at 4500', landing around 8 pm. The flight home was uneventful".
As the FAA filed it
THE FOLLOWING IS A NARRATIVE FROM THE PILOT:
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER LEFT KSGS AROUND 1630 ON 06-17-2021 TO KEGV EAGLE RIVER WI. THEY LOOKED AT SEVERAL LANDING SPOTS ALONG THE ROUTE. "I LOCATED A SECTION FLOWING SMOOTHLY, STRAIGHT, WIDE AND DEEP, WHICH APPEARED CLEAR OF ROCK, RAPIDS, OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. WHILE MANEUVERING TO LAND ON THAT AREA, I SAW A WIRE ACROSS THE RIVER JUST AN INSTANT (1/4 SECOND?)
BEFORE I HIT IT. I PULLED UP PRIOR TO IMPACT, AND BELIEVE IT IMPACTED ON THE FRONT INBOARD CHINE OF THE RIGHT FLOAT JUST AHEAD OF THE SPRAY RAIL. I BELIEVED I SNAPPED THE WIRE BECAUSE I FELT SOMETHING, THEN FOR A BRIEF MOMENT (A SECOND?) THERE WAS A GREAT COMMOTION, AND INSTANTLY IT WAS GONE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY IN THE CLIMB I HAD INITIATED. I SPENT THE NEXT 30 SECONDS ASSESSING THE CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT. I COULD SEE THE WALK-ACROSS CABLE BETWEEN THE FLOATS HAD BEEN BROKEN, THE WINDOW WAS DAMAGED, AND THE WINDSCREEN WAS SCRATCHED, BUT IT WAS STILL FLYING FINE WITH NO UNUSUAL PITCH, ROLL, OR YAW TENDENCIES AND MAKING NORMAL POWER. I VISUALLY CHECKED THE AILERONS, FLOATS, AND EVERY COMPONENT ON THE PLANE I COULD
SEE FROM THE COCKPIT, AND SPECIFICALLY SAW THE TWO SMALL VERTICAL STABILIZERS ADDED WHEN THE FLOATS WERE INSTALLED WERE STILL ATTACHED. AFTER THAT ANALYSIS, I DETERMINED AN OFF-FIELD LANDING WAS NOT NECESSARY, USED THE GPS TO FIND THE NEAREST FIELD, AND FLEW TO LADYSMITH. I PUT THE GEAR DOWN ABOUT 5 MILES OUT, WATCHED BOTH NOSEWHEELS DROP, VERIFIED FOUR GREEN LIGHTS, AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 32. IT TOOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO GET FROM THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT TO LADYSMITH. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP, SHUT DOWN, AND BOTH THE PASSENGER AND I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE AIRCRAFT. ALL DAMAGE APPEARED COSMETIC, EXCEPT THE BROKEN WINDOW AND WALK-ACROSS CABLE. MY PASSENGER CALLED HIS WIFE TO HAVE HER COME PICK HIM UP AND HE CONTINUED TO THE CABIN VIA HER CAR. WE TRIED TO FIND HIM A CAB BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I WENT BACK TO THE RAMP, LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE TO THE POINT
OF IMPACT ON THE FLOAT AGAIN, SECURED THE LOOSE CABLE WITH TAPE, PERFORMED ANOTHER WALK-AROUND AND CHECKED THE OIL. IN MY OPINION, BASED ON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE AND THE 15 MINUTE FLIGHT FROM THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT TO LADYSMITH, THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY. I FLEW IT BACK TO THE TWIN CITIES AT 4500', LANDING AROUND 8 PM. THE FLIGHT HOME WAS UNEVENTFUL".