What happened
The pilot was operating an unscheduled charter flight in an amphibious airplane with the objective of picking up passengers near Hagemeister Island. Upon arrival at the destination, the pilot assessed the water conditions and determined that a water landing was not feasible. Consequently, the pilot diverted to a nearby airstrip to perform a wheel landing instead.
During the landing roll on the runway, a gust of wind affected the aircraft's stability. The wind caused the right wing to lift unexpectedly. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control but was unable to keep the airplane aligned with the runway centerline. As a result, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway, and the left wing sustained damage.
The investigation
The examination focused on the mechanical condition of the aircraft following the incident. The inspection confirmed that the left wing was damaged as a result of the off-runway excursion. No other mechanical failures were identified that would have contributed to the loss of control during the landing roll.