Accident Details
A private pilot who was not seaplane rated was conducting familiarization maneuvers in an airplane over water. The pilot performed several air maneuvers followed by seven touch-and-go water landings with half flaps extended. Each of these landings was uneventful.
Final Landing Attempt
On the eighth landing approach, the pilot fully extended the flaps. During the landing, the pilot experienced difficulty controlling the aircraft. The airplane bounced on the water twice. The pilot then initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane veered left and was heading toward houses and boat docks.
Ditching
To avoid a collision with the obstacles, the pilot maneuvered to ditch the airplane into the water. The aircraft impacted the water and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Pilot Injuries and Egress
The pilot was able to egress from the airplane after the ditching. The pilot sustained minor injuries.