What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 30 2022, at approximately 1027 EST, a Will P Boyea Challenger II, experimental homebuilt float plane, registration numberprivacy data omitted, piloted by a commercial pilot, suffered minor damage to the floats as it attempted to land on lake nettie near Millersburg mi 49759. The winds were calm and the flight was conducted VFR. The pilot decided to land on the lake from the northwest. According to the pilot’s statement, the lake was as smooth as glass. The pilot stated he made the final approach, lost depth perception making it difficult to judge the aircraft’s altitude above the water. The water was closer than the pilot realized and landed hard on the water with a slight downward nose pitch on the nose causing the aircraft to bounce twice on the water before coming to rest. The hard landing and bouncing at some point caused the floats to crack and begin to take on water. The pilot quickly shut down the engine, secured the fuel pump, and egressed the aircraft as it started to sink. The pilot egressed the aircraft without injury and was able to swim away from the aircraft as it capsized nose over into the lake. The pilot was taken to shore by a local boater who witnessed the event nearby. No injuries reported.
On November 1st the FAA iic and another grand rapids aviation safety inspector arrived at the pilot’s residence to begin the investigation and assess the damage to the aircraft. The iic gained permission from the aircraft owner via the pilot. The aircraft was found inverted on a trailer and the aft fuselage was broken off at the production break at beginning of the tail section. Based upon visual inspection and photographic evidence, there is a definitive crack and damage on both left and right floats from where the hard impact occurred causing the floats to take on water. By the pilot own admission, all other visible damage to the aircraft happened while salvaging it from the water and placing it up the trailer for transport to its current positon to the pilots residence. The iic and the adjoining inspector also conducted a records check of the aircraft and pilot logbooks. It was discovered the pilot could be in violation of 14 CFR 61.56(c), due to an expired bi-annual pilots review. The pilot was issued the pilots bill of rights and a snaap eir was been initiated. The pilots lack of bi-annual review and unfamiliarity with landing on water are the causes of this incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 30 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 1027 EST, A WILL P BOYEA CHALLENGER II, EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT FLOAT PLANE, REGISTRATION NUMBER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FLOATS AS IT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON LAKE NETTIE NEAR MILLERSBURG MI 49759. THE WINDS WERE CALM AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED VFR. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND ON THE LAKE FROM THE NORTHWEST. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT’S STATEMENT, THE LAKE WAS AS SMOOTH AS GLASS. THE PILOT STATED HE MADE THE FINAL APPROACH, LOST DEPTH PERCEPTION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE AIRCRAFT’S ALTITUDE ABOVE THE WATER. THE WATER WAS CLOSER THAN THE PILOT REALIZED AND LANDED HARD ON THE WATER WITH A SLIGHT DOWNWARD NOSE PITCH ON THE NOSE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE TWICE ON THE WATER BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE HARD LANDING AND BOUNCING AT SOME POINT CAUSED THE FLOATS TO CRACK AND BEGIN TO TAKE ON WATER. THE PILOT QUICKLY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, SECURED THE FUEL PUMP, AND EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT AS IT STARTED TO SINK. THE PILOT EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY AND WAS ABLE TO SWIM AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS IT CAPSIZED NOSE OVER INTO THE LAKE. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO SHORE BY A LOCAL BOATER WHO WITNESSED THE EVENT NEARBY. NO INJURIES REPORTED.
ON NOVEMBER 1ST THE FAA IIC AND ANOTHER GRAND RAPIDS AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT THE PILOT’S RESIDENCE TO BEGIN THE INVESTIGATION AND ASSESS THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE IIC GAINED PERMISSION FROM THE AIRCRAFT OWNER VIA THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND INVERTED ON A TRAILER AND THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE PRODUCTION BREAK AT BEGINNING OF THE TAIL SECTION. BASED UPON VISUAL INSPECTION AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE, THERE IS A DEFINITIVE CRACK AND DAMAGE ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FLOATS FROM WHERE THE HARD IMPACT OCCURRED CAUSING THE FLOATS TO TAKE ON WATER. BY THE PILOT OWN ADMISSION, ALL OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT HAPPENED WHILE SALVAGING IT FROM THE WATER AND PLACING IT UP THE TRAILER FOR TRANSPORT TO ITS CURRENT POSITON TO THE PILOTS RESIDENCE. THE IIC AND THE ADJOINING INSPECTOR ALSO CONDUCTED A RECORDS CHECK OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT LOGBOOKS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE PILOT COULD BE IN VIOLATION OF 14 CFR 61.56(C), DUE TO AN EXPIRED BI-ANNUAL PILOTS REVIEW. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED THE PILOTS BILL OF RIGHTS AND A SNAAP EIR WAS BEEN INITIATED. THE PILOTS LACK OF BI-ANNUAL REVIEW AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH LANDING ON WATER ARE THE CAUSES OF THIS INCIDENT.