Floatplane Crash Thread

[pelmet]

From TSB via Google translate......

C-FYWS, a Cessna 172K on amphibious floats in private operation was carrying out takeoffs
and mandatory landings on the St. Lawrence River near Sainte-Anne-De-La-
Perade, QC. During a water landing, the pilot lost control of the aircraft in a condition
of mirror water. Upon contact with water, the aircraft overturned. The pilot, sole occupant, was rescued
by a boater and was not injured. The aircraft suffered substantial damage. The tag
406 MHz did not activate.

[pelmet]

From TSB....

N360DL, a privately registered Cessna U206G aircraft equipped with floats, was departing from
Silver Falls Water Aerodrome (CKJ5), MB, for a flight to Dogskin Lake, MB. During the takeoff run,
the aircraft became airborne prematurely and the pilot attempted to gently allow the aircraft to
settle back on the rough water. The aircraft then entered a stall and contacted the water with the
left wing low and transverse to the wind and waves. The left float contacted the water first and the
hard impact broke the left float attachment allowing the fuselage to pivot to the left side. The left
wing then impacted the water and the aircraft spun to the left and came to rest upright. There were
no injuries. Pilot exited the aircraft and was met by a local seaplane operator with rescue boats.
The aircraft was towed back to shore where emergency personnel were waiting. No services were
needed or given to the pilot. The aircraft was pulled from the water in order to secure it and prevent
any further damage. The damage to the aircraft was substantial. It was reported that the winds at
the time of the occurrence were westerly at approximately 25 knots with gusts over 40 knots.

[pelmet]

From TSB.....

C-GNSF, a privately registered, amateur-built Murphy Radical, equipped with amphibious floats,
was on a local flight from Squamish Municipal Airport (CYSE), BC, under visual flight rules, with
the pilot and one passenger on board. After conducting a full stop landing in Princess Louisa Inlet,
BC, the aircraft took off and completed several touch and goes. During the final touch-and-go, the
approach was made to an area of water that was described as a glassy water surface. The aircraft
contacted the water in a nose down attitude and one of the floats dug into the water. The aircraft
nosed over. The pilot and passenger, who were wearing personal flotation devices (PFD),
egressed out the left door and sat on the floats for a few moments before the aircraft began to sink.
They both removed their PFD and began swimming for the shoreline. As they approached the
shore, a private boat arrived and pulled them from the water. There were no injuries. The
emergency locator transmitter did not activate.

The following day, the TSB was contacted by the Sunshine Coast detachment of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police who had received numerous calls from boaters in Princess Louisa Inlet
about a damaged, partially submerged, floatplane in the inlet. The aircraft was subsequently
recovered from the inlet.

[pelmet]

C-FHRT, a Silver Mountain Commercial Distributors Ltd. dba Gulf Island Seaplanes float equipped
De Havilland DHC-2 was conducting a training flight from Vancouver Harbour Aerodrome (CYHC),
BC, with 1 pilot on board. The aircraft took off from CYHC and flew a short training circuit, returning
for a westbound approach. A gust caused the left wing to lift, causing the right wingtip to impact the
water. This caused an oscillation that led to the left wingtip, left float tip, and propeller to contact
the water. The aircraft came to a stop in an upright position and was subsequently towed to the
dock. The aircraft was removed from service to assess the damage. There were no injuries.


From TSB

[pelmet]

From TSB via Google Translate....

C-FQVP a Piper PA20X on float in private operation carried out a flight according to flight rules
sight from a camp on the Aguanish River north of Aguanish, Qc to Aguanish
with the pilot and a passenger on board. When landing in a crosswind, the aircraft
hit a rocky cape. The people on board suffered minor injuries and the aircraft suffered damage.
significant damage.

[pelmet]

From TSB via Google Translate...

C-FYWX a Cessna 120 on a float in private operation was carrying out a flight according to flight rules
sight from the hydro-aerodrome of Lake Louise, Qc (CSH8) to Fermont, Qc with only
the pilot on board. During the takeoff roll on the shimmering water, the pilot attempted to raise a
floats before the other and one wing has touched the water. The pilot managed to return to the dock with the seaplane,
but its wing was heavily damaged. The pilot was not injured.

[TeePeeCreeper]

Did not witness the event but took this photograph earlier this week…

TPC

[pelmet]

Did not witness the event but took this photograph earlier this week…

TPC

Thanks for the assistance. Always appreciate some input, especially if someone hears some details of what happened.

[pelmet]

From TSB via Google Translate....

C-FQVP a Piper PA20X on float in private operation carried out a flight according to flight rules
sight from a camp on the Aguanish River north of Aguanish, Qc to Aguanish
with the pilot and a passenger on board. When landing in a crosswind, the aircraft
hit a rocky cape. The people on board suffered minor injuries and the aircraft suffered damage.
significant damage.

[pelmet]

From TSB...

C-GHPB, a privately registered Cessna 182M, equipped with floats, was landing on the water at
the Arnprior Water Aerodrome (CNB5), ON. During the landing, one of the floats dug in, the pilot
lost control of the aircraft, and the right wing struck the water surface. The aircraft remained
upright, but the wing was substantially damaged. There were no injuries to the two occupants.

[pelmet]

From TSB...

C-FKFR, a privately registered PA-22-160 equipped with floats was reported to have been
damaged during a landing at Lillabelle in Cochrane, Ontario. Afterwards, the aircraft was found
parked on land at the seaplane base and appeared to have sustained substantial damage.

[pelmet]

From TSB...

C-GFKT, a, private registered, LA-4-200 amphibian Lake aircraft was landing on the water at
Sawlog Bay, on Lake Huron. During the landing, shortly after touchdown, the aircraft suddenly
veered to the left, and subsequently spun around. There was substantial damage to the aircraft
wings, however it stayed upright. There were no injuries.

[pelmet]

From TSB...

C-GCXG, a privately registered Lake 250, modified to a Lake LA-270 Turbo Renegade,
amphibious aircraft, on a local flight out of Orillia Rama Regional Aerodrome (CNJ4), ON, crashed
while performing a water landing and touch and go at CNJ4. During the touch and go, as power
was applied, the right sponson hit the water which induced a left turn and resulted in the right wing
tip to contact the water and to overturn the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest inverted in the water
and approximately 180 degrees from its original heading. Bystanders reached the aircraft by boat
and rescued the pilot who incurred minor injuries.

[PilotDAR]

It is noteworthy that in a flying boat, while on the step, the pilot controls whether the airplane has the directional stability characteristics of a tricycle airplane, or a taildragger, by now low the nose is held on the step. The contact point of the hull to the water is where the weight of the airplane, and drag with the surface is concentrated. If it's well forward, it;ll tend toward having taildragger surface handling characteristics (in terms of groundloop). Holding the nose low makes that contact point more forward. If the nose is held higher, the contact point of the hull to the water is further aft, and so the support point and drag point, relative to the C of G, are more aft like a tricycle airplane, and it's directionally stable. It's okay to run on the step with the nose low, as long as the direction is precisely controlled to be straight - a turn will create a demand for considerable pilot skill and attention! And, with the Lake and Renegade, if the hull is nose low, and has any sideways motion, it can pull open a nose gear door, which is then a huge water brake, and the airplane is going to spin around out of control and certainly be damaged. Lakes are amazingly maneuverable and tolerant on the step, more so than a floatplane, but push it too far, and it will end badly.

[TeePeeCreeper]

It is noteworthy that in a flying boat, while on the step, the pilot controls whether the airplane has the directional stability characteristics of a tricycle airplane, or a taildragger, by now low the nose is held on the step. The contact point of the hull to the water is where the weight of the airplane, and drag with the surface is concentrated. If it's well forward, it;ll tend toward having taildragger surface handling characteristics (in terms of groundloop). Holding the nose low makes that contact point more forward. If the nose is held higher, the contact point of the hull to the water is further aft, and so the support point and drag point, relative to the C of G, are more aft like a tricycle airplane, and it's directionally stable. It's okay to run on the step with the nose low, as long as the direction is precisely controlled to be straight - a turn will create a demand for considerable pilot skill and attention! And, with the Lake and Renegade, if the hull is nose low, and has any sideways motion, it can pull open a nose gear door, which is then a huge water brake, and the airplane is going to spin around out of control and certainly be damaged. Lakes are amazingly maneuverable and tolerant on the step, more so than a floatplane, but push it too far, and it will end badly.

Good morning DAR,

Excellent post!

I’ve never flown a Lake but I understand the dynamics of it’s engine placement and adverse pitch characteristics that it entails.

I was asked earlier this summer to train a new pilot on his and politely declined. « But you fly a huge flying boat! »
-Yeah but this is different!

I’m curious…

On the step; how much yaw and at what speed is required to rip a door open?

Regards,

TPC

[PilotDAR]

On the step; how much yaw and at what speed is required to rip a door open?

I can't say TPC, though I expect that by the time you have a Lake that yawed on the water all is lost anyway, the nosewheel door being pulled open just becomes an aggravating factor to what is already a bad outcome. The key is to keep it straight. A Lake will step turn very nicely, but I do it with that in mind, and don't get aggressive about it!

The high thrust line of a Lake is not the widowmaker people opine. Because the horizontal stabilizer is in the prop wash, it's rather self correcting when power is applied. But jamming the power on without a little anticipated control input is asking for trouble, as it is in most airplanes for any number of reasons. On an overshoot, a smooth application of go around power from approach power results in only a slight pitchdown, which is easily overcome with attentive pitch control (a gusty wind could be worse). Lakes are excellent flying airplanes, right through to having a fairly benign spin (compared to a Cessna 206!). The challenge with them is that they are so nice to fly, and tolerant of a little mis handling, that they will lure an unwary pilot into not listening to their spidy senses to know that they are a little too far in already. Do the same things in a floatplane, and you would have terrified yourself already!

[Swampdonk]

No talk about the Otter that hit the water a few days ago in northern Ontario. No injuries I hear.

[sunk]

Also a wings over K had a hard landing and damaged it.

[ChrisB]

No talk about the Otter that hit the water a few days ago in northern Ontario. No injuries I hear.

Any more details?

[Swampdonk]

Haven’t seen anything official only the photos. Any details I have are 2nd and 3rd hand.

[ChrisB]

Haven’t seen anything official only the photos. Any details I have are 2nd and 3rd hand.

What colour is it?

[nobody23]

Bright orange. There’s a picture of a Heli pulling it out of the water by professionalbushpilot instagram

[Bede]

No talk about the Otter that hit the water a few days ago in northern Ontario. No injuries I hear.

I heard it was NDK Air's Otter out of Armstrong- unless we're talking about a different one.

[nobody23]

2024-09-03
Narrative: A NDK Air Ltd. de Havilland (C-GMLB) crashed and inverted due to unknown circumstances while landing on a lake approximately 87 NM north northwest of CYQT. No known NAV CANADA services were being provided. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Trenton and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and Transport Canada (TC) Aviation Operations Centre (AVOPS) have been advised.

[Swampdonk]

Think they have had two mishaps lately?

First heard Beaver then saw the Otters tail sticking out of the water when I got the photos.