Incident Overview
An amphibian airplane sank during a water landing after the pilot encountered an unexpected wave. The pilot, who was familiar with the intended landing area, reported that the water appeared clear as he approached the channel on a downwind leg. He turned base leg over the shoreline and turned onto final approach into the wind.
Sequence of Events
During the landing flare, the pilot looked out his side window to judge height and saw a very large wave in his path. Stating there was no way to avoid the wave, he added power in an attempt to "catch the top of the wave." However, the floats caught the wave, and the airplane was "catapulted" forward into the water. The tip of the right float broke off, and the airplane sank nose down in 10 to 12 foot deep water.
Conditions
The pilot reported approximately a 6-inch chop on the water surface at the time of landing. He was landing to the southwest, and winds were from the southwest at approximately 12 knots.