Seaplane or Amphibian
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Sea; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 2; Flight Crew Total 1594; Flight Crew Type 68
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Evacuated
Human Factors
I was pilot in command and the only occupant of an amphibious aircraft. I departed to visit friends with a house on the lake. Weather conditions were favorable with no reported cloud cover or adverse conditions. Constant winds were from the north at 6-8 knots. After overflight of the landing area to assess conditions a landing approach into the wind was begun. The wind was constant as reported with slight wave activity as was expected. I planned to utilize a slow landing approach to stall; not a step taxi landing. All was going as planned. Airspeed was reduced and approach was going well. Upon touchdown of the floats the aircraft nose went forward to the water. With the nose in the water the cockpit began to fill with water. I exited the aircraft as the water filled the plane and caused the aircraft body to submerge. The floats prevented it from sinking. Nearby boaters came to the plane and I climbed onto one of their boats. I received no physical injuries at all. Due to the very reduced speed of contact to the water the aircraft sustained no damage other than being submerged. The plane was taken to the boat ramp and removed from the lake. In the process of recovery the plane was moored off shore in deep water. The recovery operators decided to move it and it then came closer to shore and shallower water. Some slight damage to the wings was a result of that move and the top of the plane contacting the bottom where underwater tree stumps existed. The realization of what happened was and will remain troublesome to me personally. I can put no fault on anything other than pilot error. There were distractions as with most water landings. Some that day more than usually encountered I could say. A bit of a wind with resultant small waves in the water but nothing significant enough to abort a landing. I had a concern for objects in the water due to recent heavy storms and past experience in the lake. I did notice some on inspection of where to land. There was boat traffic with waves they produce even after passing. There were boats and boat wake in the lake. I have dealt with these situations many times in the past. Why I became distracted enough this time and landed with wheels extended I wish I could define or pinpoint definitely. It was a combination of factors not just one that led to this unfortunate mishap for me. That is my only explanation for it. I felt it was going to be a nicely done landing.
Seaplane pilot landed on the water with the wheels extended resulting in the aircraft nosing over in the lake.