SEA02LA081

The pilot, who had done a number of touch-and-go water landings just prior to the accident, thought he was landing in an area where the water was relatively calm and undisturbed. But he failed to detect the wake of a boat that had been operating in the area, and almost immediately after touchdown, the aircraft encountered the wave/swell from the wake and started porpoising. The aircraft contacted the water two more times, and on the final contact, the right wingtip was buried in the water resulting in substantial damage to the airframe.

On May 12, 2002, approximately 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Cook Coot A experimental-category amateur-built amphibian airplane, N12QQ, registered to and being flown by the pilot, was substantially damaged in a water landing on Lake Coeur d'Alene near Harrison, Idaho. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, received minor injuries in the accident. The flight was being operated in visual meteorological conditions, and according to the pilot, the winds were calm at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, who had already done a number of touch-and-go water landings that afternoon, he thought he was landing in an area where the water was "quiet." But just after touchdown, the aircraft encountered a boat wake and "...it just started porpoising." The second time the aircraft contacted the water, it hit another wake and pitched into the air again. The third time the aircraft contacted the water, the right wingtip was "buried," and the airframe sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, there was no evidence that there had been any malfunction of the flight controls or any other aircraft system.