What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was returning to Seldovia Airport from homer airport at approximately 1540 on 09/22/2026. After a routine landing the plane started to move towards the left of the center line. The pilot responded with right rudder and minor braking. Shortly thereafter the right rudder pedal went down to the firewall with no response. Pilot kept coasting hoping to make the next intersection, but the left wheel caught some soft dirt which turned the aircraft left into a ditch. The speed was slow and the aircraft came to a soft stop. The engine was idling and did not hit anything. The pilot immediately shut the engine down and turned off fuel flow. Upon exiting the aircraft, the pilot noticed that the left front amphib wheel was bent to the side, but the float surface looked undamaged. The right brake was examined and a friend of the pilot's noticed that the brake bleed valve appeared to have been hit by a rock releasing the fluid from the system. The brake line tubing was intact and not damaged. Pilot provided pictures of the aircraft in its original resting position in the ditch, photos of the bleed valve, as well as maintenance records from the last annual condition inspection. There was no recent maintenance done on the amphibs other than the condition inspection completed in may 2026 which discovered no issues with the aircraft or amphibs. Pilot fully cooperated throughout the investigation process. No further action recommended.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS RETURNING TO SELDOVIA AIRPORT FROM HOMER AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1540 ON 09/22/2026. AFTER A ROUTINE LANDING THE PLANE STARTED TO MOVE TOWARDS THE LEFT OF THE CENTER LINE. THE PILOT RESPONDED WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND MINOR BRAKING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FIREWALL WITH NO RESPONSE. PILOT KEPT COASTING HOPING TO MAKE THE NEXT INTERSECTION, BUT THE LEFT WHEEL CAUGHT SOME SOFT DIRT WHICH TURNED THE AIRCRAFT LEFT INTO A DITCH. THE SPEED WAS SLOW AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A SOFT STOP. THE ENGINE WAS IDLING AND DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND TURNED OFF FUEL FLOW. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FRONT AMPHIB WHEEL WAS BENT TO THE SIDE, BUT THE FLOAT SURFACE LOOKED UNDAMAGED. THE RIGHT BRAKE WAS EXAMINED AND A FRIEND OF THE PILOT'S NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE BLEED VALVE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY A ROCK RELEASING THE FLUID FROM THE SYSTEM. THE BRAKE LINE TUBING WAS INTACT AND NOT DAMAGED. PILOT PROVIDED PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT IN ITS ORIGINAL RESTING POSITION IN THE DITCH, PHOTOS OF THE BLEED VALVE, AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM THE LAST ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO RECENT MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE AMPHIBS OTHER THAN THE CONDITION INSPECTION COMPLETED IN MAY 2026 WHICH DISCOVERED NO ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR AMPHIBS. PILOT FULLY COOPERATED THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS. NO FURTHER ACTION RECOMMENDED.