What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was landing on a lake, where he resided with his amphibious C-185. He was observed by a neighbor, also a pilot to enter the downwind to the lake with the landing gear extended below the floats. The PIL0T had just taken off from a land airport approximatlet 10 m inutes earlier. The neighbor watched the whole approach to touchdown in the water. The neighbor siad the approach looked normal for speed and glidepath. He said the minute the aircraft made contact with the water, the aircraft flipped forward. The aircraft was completely submerged in the water. The neighbor then took a friends boat to the police dock to pick up some water rescue people. They then procedded to the aircraft, arriving approximatley 10 minutes later. He said there were several boats already on scene trying to extricate the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS LANDING ON A LAKE, WHERE HE RESIDED WITH HIS AMPHIBIOUS C-185. HE WAS OBSERVED BY A NEIGHBOR, ALSO A PILOT TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND TO THE LAKE WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED BELOW THE FLOATS. THE PIL0T HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM A LAND AIRPORT APPROXIMATLET 10 M INUTES EARLIER. THE NEIGHBOR WATCHED THE WHOLE APPROACH TO TOUCHDOWN IN THE WATER. THE NEIGHBOR SIAD THE APPROACH LOOKED NORMAL FOR SPEED AND GLIDEPATH. HE SAID THE MINUTE THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED FORWARD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN THE WATER. THE NEIGHBOR THEN TOOK A FRIENDS BOAT TO THE POLICE DOCK TO PICK UP SOME WATER RESCUE PEOPLE. THEY THEN PROCEDDED TO THE AIRCRAFT, ARRIVING APPROXIMATLEY 10 MINUTES LATER. HE SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL BOATS ALREADY ON SCENE TRYING TO EXTRICATE THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.