Cessna C-182 N7482Q accident near Fox Lake, Illinois

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate flight planning and continued flight into adverse weather resulting in the collision with the pier during landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was moving his float-equipped airplane from his pier to the other side of the lake in order to dock at his friend’s pier temporarily. He decided to fly it to the other side of the lake instead of performing a water taxi. He departed into the wind, and during climbout, he encountered heavy rain showers which obscured his forward visibility out the windshield. He executed a downwind landing to the lake by looking out the side window. He reported that during the landing, he could not slow the airplane down enough to avoid hitting a pier. The airplane sustained structural damage to the fuselage.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09CA448 for the full record.