Accident Details
On July 17, 2010, at about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Consolidated Aeronautics Lake LA-4-200 amphibious airplane, registration N8543H, sustained substantial damage while performing touch-and-go landings on Hewett Lake, approximately 6 miles west of Skwentna, Alaska. The pilot was operating the aircraft under Title 14, CFR Part 91 as a visual flight rules personal cross-country flight. The solo commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Statement
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on July 19, the pilot reported that he had flown to Hewett Lake to visit friends. After the visit, and before returning home, he decided to conduct some touch-and-go landings on the lake. The pilot described the water as glassy. He stated that the first two landings were harder than he would have liked and the airplane bounced. On the third landing, the airplane landed hard and nosed over. The pilot was able to escape the wreckage, inflate his vest, and was picked up by boaters. He said his approach was at 60 knots airspeed and a 150 feet per minute rate of descent. He noted the wind was light and the water was glassy. He reported no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
In a written statement to the NTSB dated October 22, the pilot reported: "After crossing the shoreline, I glanced down at the VSI (vertical speed indicator)... before I looked up, the airplane impacted the water."
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage during the accident.