What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was coming in for a water landing. Pilot checked the gear indicator light on dash and it showed retracted (up) and locked. The pilot failed to check the secondary indicator located on the floats themselves which were working properly and showed the gear being extended (down). The bellcrank rod end on both landing gear retraction assemblies were corroded and had snapped, leaving the gear in the down and locked position, though the actuators retracted properly, prompting dash indicator light to show up and locked. When the aircraft contacted the water, it contacted the extended gear and caused aircraft to flip forward.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS COMING IN FOR A WATER LANDING. PILOT CHECKED THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH AND IT SHOWED RETRACTED (UP) AND LOCKED. THE PILOT FAILED TO CHECK THE SECONDARY INDICATOR LOCATED ON THE FLOATS THEMSELVES WHICH WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND SHOWED THE GEAR BEING EXTENDED (DOWN). THE BELLCRANK ROD END ON BOTH LANDING GEAR RETRACTION ASSEMBLIES WERE CORRODED AND HAD SNAPPED, LEAVING THE GEAR IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION, THOUGH THE ACTUATORS RETRACTED PROPERLY, PROMPTING DASH INDICATOR LIGHT TO SHOW UP AND LOCKED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE WATER, IT CONTACTED THE EXTENDED GEAR AND CAUSED AIRCRAFT TO FLIP FORWARD.
Other reports on N511PH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.