GA SMA LNDG ON A FROZEN LAKE COVERED WITH 12 INCHES OF SNOW AND WAS UNABLE TO TKOF. ACFT STRANDED AND HELICOPTER CALLED TO TRANSPORT PLT.

Narrative

ACFT WAS AN SMA FLOATPLANE AND THE INCIDENT INVOLVED MAKING A LOW APCH TO AND INADVERTENT LNDG IN A HIGH MOUNTAIN LAKE; LAKE ISABELLE; ELEVATION 2800' MSL; OAT WAS 40 DEGS F. THE APCH WAS NORMAL AND I HAVE LANDED MANY TIMES IN THIS LAKE IN THE SUMMER. THE LAKE IS ADEQUATE IN SIZE AND HAS A NON-MOUNTAINOUS OPENING FOR A SAFE GO AROUND IF NEEDED. HOWEVER; MY JUDGEMENT WAS INADEQUATE IN THAT I THOUGHT THAT THE SEEMINGLY ICE APPEARANCE OF THE LAKE SURFACE WAS ACTUALLY ICE WITH ABOUT 12' OF SNOW COVER. I WAS MAKING A GLASSY WATER TYPE OF APCH (VERY GENTLE LETDOWN) AND WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH CONTACT OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ICE AS THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM; 4000+' OF LAKE AHEAD OF ME. HOWEVER; AS SOON AS MY FLOATS DID TOUCH THE SURFACE (THIS WAS NOT PLANNED AND DOES HAPPEN WITH GLASSY WATER APCHES AND SNOW/WHITEOUTS); THE WET SNOW CREATED QUITE A LOT OF DRAG AND A FULL LNDG WAS THE RESULT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PERSONNEL; HOWEVER TKOF WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND I HAD TO CALL AND ARRANGE FOR A HELI TO BE TAKEN OUT. MY THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER LOOKING BACK WERE THAT I WAS DEALING WITH A SITUATION BEYOND MY EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND THAT IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.