What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 8, 2023 at 0940 local time, a 1966 Aerofab (lake) LA-4 amphibian aircraft, privacy data omitted, registered to and operated by a private pilot received substantial damage following impact with a submerged object and subsequent sinking during a water landing at hardy dam pond, newaygo county, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The training flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. Both the pilot and ATP rated instructor were uninjured. The flight originated from the grand haven memorial airpark (3GM), grand haven, Michigan at approximately 0830.
According to the pilot, he and his flight instructor were performing water landings and touch & goes to become familiar with the aircraft. He also stated, during the accident landing everything seemed normal until water started to rush into the cockpit area. The pilot and instructor immediately secured the engine and egressed from the aircraft. Both the pilot and instructor were unaware of any impact with an object during the landing. A nearby witness on a pontoon boat was able to rescue the 2 men and tie a line to the tail of the aircraft prior to it slipping below the water’s surface.
Interview of witness states the aircraft was landing in the water when it made a “hard” right turn and came to a stop in the water. Once the pilot and instructor were exiting the aircraft the witness knew they were in trouble and made way to the aircraft by boat to assist and rescue the crew. Additional witnesses called 911.
The aircraft was located in 65 feet of water and recovered by a local salvage crew and the newaygo county sheriff department dive team. Investigating FAA inspector was onsite during the recovery.
Once the aircraft was floated, it was towed to shore and brought onto dry land. The landing gear was in the “up” position and all aircraft controls were found in position to be consistent with a water landing. The aircraft was intact with the only damage being a 2’X3’ penetrating hole in the right front bow section of the fuselage starting right of the top centerline and ending below the waterline. Material consistent with a tree branch or trunk was found in and around the damaged bow area. Additionally, the top right wing showed minor impact damage also consistent with a tree branch impact. The vertical stabilizer was also found damaged, but it is believed this occurred during aircraft recovery.
During interview with responding sheriff deputies, it was stated a larger than normal amount of debris including logs and tree branches, had been seen in the water since recent heavy rainfall over the previous few days.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 8, 2023 AT 0940 LOCAL TIME, A 1966 AEROFAB (LAKE) LA-4 AMPHIBIAN AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH A SUBMERGED OBJECT AND SUBSEQUENT SINKING DURING A WATER LANDING AT HARDY DAM POND, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE TRAINING FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND ATP RATED INSTRUCTOR WERE UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE GRAND HAVEN MEMORIAL AIRPARK (3GM), GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 0830.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE AND HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE PERFORMING WATER LANDINGS AND TOUCH & GOES TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRCRAFT. HE ALSO STATED, DURING THE ACCIDENT LANDING EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL WATER STARTED TO RUSH INTO THE COCKPIT AREA. THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY SECURED THE ENGINE AND EGRESSED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE UNAWARE OF ANY IMPACT WITH AN OBJECT DURING THE LANDING. A NEARBY WITNESS ON A PONTOON BOAT WAS ABLE TO RESCUE THE 2 MEN AND TIE A LINE TO THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IT SLIPPING BELOW THE WATER’S SURFACE.
INTERVIEW OF WITNESS STATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING IN THE WATER WHEN IT MADE A “HARD” RIGHT TURN AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE WATER. ONCE THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE EXITING THE AIRCRAFT THE WITNESS KNEW THEY WERE IN TROUBLE AND MADE WAY TO THE AIRCRAFT BY BOAT TO ASSIST AND RESCUE THE CREW. ADDITIONAL WITNESSES CALLED 911.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN 65 FEET OF WATER AND RECOVERED BY A LOCAL SALVAGE CREW AND THE NEWAYGO COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT DIVE TEAM. INVESTIGATING FAA INSPECTOR WAS ONSITE DURING THE RECOVERY.
ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOATED, IT WAS TOWED TO SHORE AND BROUGHT ONTO DRY LAND. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE “UP” POSITION AND ALL AIRCRAFT CONTROLS WERE FOUND IN POSITION TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A WATER LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT WITH THE ONLY DAMAGE BEING A 2’X3’ PENETRATING HOLE IN THE RIGHT FRONT BOW SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE STARTING RIGHT OF THE TOP CENTERLINE AND ENDING BELOW THE WATERLINE. MATERIAL CONSISTENT WITH A TREE BRANCH OR TRUNK WAS FOUND IN AND AROUND THE DAMAGED BOW AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THE TOP RIGHT WING SHOWED MINOR IMPACT DAMAGE ALSO CONSISTENT WITH A TREE BRANCH IMPACT. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS ALSO FOUND DAMAGED, BUT IT IS BELIEVED THIS OCCURRED DURING AIRCRAFT RECOVERY.
DURING INTERVIEW WITH RESPONDING SHERIFF DEPUTIES, IT WAS STATED A LARGER THAN NORMAL AMOUNT OF DEBRIS INCLUDING LOGS AND TREE BRANCHES, HAD BEEN SEEN IN THE WATER SINCE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE PREVIOUS FEW DAYS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.