Accident Overview
On the afternoon of the accident, Michael B. Braunstein, aged 72, the owner of a vintage twin-engine amphibious airplane built in 1943, departed from B Flat Farm Airport (3NK8) in Copake, New York, around 1600 for a local personal flight under Visual Meteorological Conditions. No flight plan was filed for the operation conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane later impacted the waters of the Hudson River near Catskill, New York, and was destroyed. The pilot, a certificated airline transport pilot, sustained fatal injuries.
Witness Observations
Approximately 25 witnesses were interviewed for the investigation. Multiple witnesses reported observing the airplane flying southbound at a low altitude above the river, with the engine audible. The airplane then performed a 180-degree left turn, consistent with a tight traffic pattern in preparation for a water landing. Following the turn, the airplane descended, leveled off above the water, and suddenly banked left. The nose and left pontoon struck the water, causing the airplane to nosed over, catch fire, and sink.
Wreckage Examination
Postrecovery examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was in the retracted (up) position and the flaps were extended, indicating that the airplane had been configured for a water landing. No evidence of any preimpact failures or malfunctions of the airframe or engines was found that would have precluded normal operation.
Environmental Conditions
At the time of the accident, a light breeze was present, the river was at slack tide, and water conditions were calm, all of which were conducive to glassy water conditions. The glassy water surface likely affected the pilot's ability to judge the airplane's height above the water.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause, as determined by the investigation, is the pilot's misjudgment of the airplane's altitude above the water and early flare for a landing on water with a glassy condition, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.