At the conclusion of the sightseeing and bird-watching flight around Mobile, Alabama, the pilot was flying the Quicksilver SPII low in preparation for a water landing in gusty wind conditions.
While flying about 6 feet over the water, a wind gust subsided, and the plane sank and began to stall.
The front of the floats then hit a small wave, resulting in the airplane nosing over into the water.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane in gusty wind conditions while flying low over water, which resulted in the floats impacting a wave and the airplane’s subsequent nose over into the water.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This August 2024 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Isn’t this the second time in about a month that a pilot tried to land a float plane in gusty conditions and bashed the plane up?