20210706022989A

ON MARCH 1, 2022, THE SEATTLE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (SEATTLE FSDO) DELAYED REPORT: WPR21LA357.

ON JULY 6, 2021, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATED AN AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 FROM BOEING FIELD/KING COUNTY INTERNATIONAL (KBFI) TO ROCHE HARBOR (W39). AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 PDT, ON INITIAL LANDING APPROACH AT W39 AND AFTER A NORMAL WATER LANDING, DURING ROLL-OUT AT ABOUT 25 KNOTS THE LEFT WING AND FLOAT LIFTED RESULTING IN THE RIGHT WING MOMENTARILY STRIKING THE WATER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT VISUALLY SEE THE RIGHT WING COME IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER NOR DID HE FEEL ANYTHING UNUSUAL.

ONCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STOPPED THE AMPHIBIOUS AIRPLANE, HE WAITED FOR HIS PASSENGERS TO COME OUT TO THE AIRPLANE VIA BOAT AS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT MOOR OR DOCK HIS PLANE NEAR ANY LAND OR WATER STRUCTURES. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CONDUCTED A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION BY LOOKING AT THE RIGHT WING FROM THE FLOAT LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WING OR AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. ONCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS COMPLETED WITH HIS POST FLIGHT, HE PROCEEDED TO LOAD PASSENGERS ONTO HIS AIRCRAFT.

BEFORE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED W39, HE COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT CONTROL CHECK AND STATED THAT HE MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT BACK TO KBFI. ONCE AIRBORNE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL ANY CHANGE TO HIS FLIGHT CONTROLS. ONCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED BACK AT KBFI, HE REPORTED THAT HIS MECHANIC DISCOVERED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. THIS DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO THE NTSB ON JULY 9, 2021.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT WERE BASED ON SEVERAL ITEMS. PILOT PROFICIENCY WAS NOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS HE RARELY FLIES THIS AIRCRAFT. EVEN THOUGH HE DID A TRAINING FLIGHT THE PREVIOUS DAY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO CONDUCT MORE TRAINING WITH THEIR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TO GAIN A MORE COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT FEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HAS LOGGED 51 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND HAD FLOWN 7 HOURS IN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS, 2 HOURS OF WHICH WERE CONDUCTED IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. IN ADDITION, NO WEATHER REPORTING STATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR W39. THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING STATION WAS LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTH OF W39. FRIDAY HARBOR AIRPORT (KFHR) WAS REPORTING OF 100 DEGREES AT 7 KTS, 10 SM, CLR 11/04 A3050. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENT SAID THAT A POSSIBLE ?BOAT WAKE?, GUST OF WIND OR COMBINATION OF BOTH UPON LANDING MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE AREA OF INTENDED LANDING WAS ?BUSY? WITH BOATS IN THE WATER, NEAR THE AREA OF LANDING WHICH MAY HAVE MADE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FEEL A LITTLE INTIMIDATED.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS SHOWS LACK OF PILOT PROFICIENCY WITH UNKNOWN WATER CONDITIONS.

AFTER TALKING WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HEARING WHAT HE BELIEVES THAT HE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY, AND HAVING HIM EXPLAIN TO THE AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS THE LESSONS THAT HE LEARNED, WHERE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FAILED AND HOW TO PREVENT AN OCCURRENCE SIMILAR TO THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, THE AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS FEEL THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS LEARNED FROM THIS ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THE NEXT TIME HE INITIATES A WATER LANDING, HE WILL CONDUCT A LOW RECONNAISSANCE OVER HIS INTENDED LANDING AREA BEFORE HE INITIATES HIS LANDING SEQUENCE. MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND FIND OTHER ALTERNATIVES BEFORE ALLOWING THINGS TO DEVELOP INTO GREATER ISSUES. WHEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COMPLETED HIS LANDING SEQUENCE, HE DID NOT FEEL OR SEE THE WING CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE WATER NOR DID HE FIND ANY UNUSUAL DAMAGE UPON POST-FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FELT LUCKY THAT HE DID NOT ?TUMBLE? TH