Incident Overview
A pilot and three passengers departed on a pleasure flight from Catalina to San Diego, California. During the flight, the pilot allowed the airplane to descend to the Earth's surface. The descent led to a collision with the water.
Damage Details
The nose wheel and the left main landing gear wheel collided with the water. As a result, the nose gear bent aft. The left wheel assembly separated from its strut. Additionally, the impact caused the strut's wing attachment assembly to be pushed upward through the cambered surface of the wing.
Statements
The pilot originally asserted that the mishap occurred during a rough takeoff. Subsequently, the pilot stated that the damage occurred upon colliding with the ocean.