Pilot’s Failure To Maintain Control Of The Airplane In Gusty Wind Conditions While Flying Low Over Water

Location: Mobile, Alabama Accident Number: ERA24LA349
Date & Time: August 16, 2024, 07:30 Local Registration: N2342D
Aircraft: Smith T Gunter Quick Silver SP II Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: At the conclusion of the sightseeing and bird watching flight, the pilot reported he was flying low in preparation for a water landing in gusty wind conditions. While flying about 6 ft over the water surface, a wind gust subsided, and the airplane sank and began to stall. The front of the floats then impacted a small wave, resulting in the airplane nosing over into the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The pilot reported there were no preimpact anomalies or mechanical failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- 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

FMI: www.ntsb.gov