SEA96LA054

While making a water landing in a ten knot 90 degree crosswind, the dual student allowed the aircraft to touch down in about a ten degree crab, and the aircraft bounced hard from right to left. The flight instructor (CFI) took remedial action, but was unable to keep the aircraft from bouncing hard enough to cause damage to the horizontal stabilizer.

On February 10, 1996, approximately 1330 Pacific standard time (PST), a DeHavilland DHC-2 floatplane, N690, impacted the water during an attempted landing on Immigrant Lake near Ashland, Oregon. The certified flight instructor and his private pilot rated student were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The instructional flight, which was using Immigrant Lake as a training site, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to an FAA inspector who talked to the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) after the accident, the student was trying to land in a 10 knot 90 degree crosswind when he touched down hard in about a 10 degree crab. As the aircraft bounced hard from right to left, the CFI applied full up elevator and reduced the power to idle. After discussing the errors the student had made during the flare and touchdown, the CFI decided he would demonstrate the next landing. After takeoff, he noticed that the elevator was vibrating and also noticed damage to the horizontal stabilizer. At that point the CFI elected to fly directly to Medford, Oregon, where he made a successful precautionary landing.