What happened
On September 3, 2022, at approximately 12:30 UTC, a Cessna 182Q amphibious aircraft, registered as LV-KDM, was performing a recreational flight over the Paraná River in the Entre Ríos province. The flight departed from the San Lorenzo aerodrome in Santa Fe and was intended to conclude with a water landing on the "Paraná Viejo" arm of the river.
During the landing sequence, the pilot encountered a "mirror effect" caused by calm water and sunlight reflection, which made it difficult to visually judge the distance to the surface. As the pilot initiated the flare, they realized the aircraft was higher than estimated, leading to a stall just meters above the water. The aircraft struck the surface abruptly and bounced. During a second attempt to stabilize, the nose of the aircraft impacted the water, causing the plane to spin and come to a halt in the opposite direction of its approach. While the aircraft sustained significant damage, the two occupants were able to evacuate the plane safely without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's recent training and the aircraft's operational characteristics. It was noted that the pilot had obtained a single-engine floatplane rating only five days prior to the accident, having trained in a Lake Buccaneer. The investigation highlighted a significant difference in cockpit height between the two models: the Lake Buccaneer sits less than 40 centimeters above the water, whereas the Cessna 182Q sits over 1.5 meters above the surface.
Furthermore, while the pilot was rated for the specific make and model, records indicated they had not undergone specific adaptation for the amphibious configuration of the aircraft, which is a requirement under Argentine civil aviation regulations (RAAC).