What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The private pilot stated that he began his flight from angola, Indiana for a flight to lake wawasee in Indiana. The pilot reported that during a landing about 6 weeks prior, he expereinced a hard landing. The pilot stated that this previous landing had placed a significant side load on the aircraft. During the landing on lake wawasee on August 3, 2024, the pilot reported the aircraft seemed to be pulling slightly toward the left but continued in for a landing. After touchdown on the lake he reported that something did not feel right and noticed the aircraft pulling slightly to the left. The pilot reported adding full power for takeoff. It was noticed from watching video reports of this aircraft, the nose of the aircraft momentarily pitched downward during takeoff roll then rapidly pitched up significantly more than what would be required for a normal takeoff. Closer inspection of the video revealed that right before the nose pitched downward, the flaps appeared to have been lowered to what looked like the full down position. That is when it appeared the floats pitched down into the water, the aircraft nose pitched up significantly and the left wing rolling to the left until contact with the water was made. The aircraft rotated to the left and came to a sudden stop in the lake at this point. Pilot was rescued and taken to shore. Preliminary reports indicate the pilot may have been operating this aircraft while in privacy data omitted for aircraft operation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PRIVATE PILOT STATED THAT HE BEGAN HIS FLIGHT FROM ANGOLA, INDIANA FOR A FLIGHT TO LAKE WAWASEE IN INDIANA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING A LANDING ABOUT 6 WEEKS PRIOR, HE EXPEREINCED A HARD LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT THIS PREVIOUS LANDING HAD PLACED A SIGNIFICANT SIDE LOAD ON THE AIRCRAFT. DURING THE LANDING ON LAKE WAWASEE ON AUGUST 3, 2024, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO BE PULLING SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE LEFT BUT CONTINUED IN FOR A LANDING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE LAKE HE REPORTED THAT SOMETHING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT AND NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT PULLING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT REPORTED ADDING FULL POWER FOR TAKEOFF. IT WAS NOTICED FROM WATCHING VIDEO REPORTS OF THIS AIRCRAFT, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY PITCHED DOWNWARD DURING TAKEOFF ROLL THEN RAPIDLY PITCHED UP SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A NORMAL TAKEOFF. CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE VIDEO REVEALED THAT RIGHT BEFORE THE NOSE PITCHED DOWNWARD, THE FLAPS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN LOWERED TO WHAT LOOKED LIKE THE FULL DOWN POSITION. THAT IS WHEN IT APPEARED THE FLOATS PITCHED DOWN INTO THE WATER, THE AIRCRAFT NOSE PITCHED UP SIGNIFICANTLY AND THE LEFT WING ROLLING TO THE LEFT UNTIL CONTACT WITH THE WATER WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP IN THE LAKE AT THIS POINT. PILOT WAS RESCUED AND TAKEN TO SHORE. PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATE THE PILOT MAY HAVE BEEN OPERATING THIS AIRCRAFT WHILE IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR AIRCRAFT OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.