Amateur-built QUICK SILVER SP II N2342D accident near Mobile, Alabama

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane in gusty wind conditions while flying low over water, which resulted in the floats impacting a wave and the airplane’s subsequent nose over into the water.

NTSB analysis

At the conclusion of the sightseeing and bird watching flight, the pilot reported he was flying low in preparation for a water landing in gusty wind conditions. While flying about 6 ft over the water surface, a wind gust subsided, and the airplane sank and began to stall. The front of the floats then impacted a small wave, resulting in the airplane nosing over into the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. The pilot reported there were no preimpact anomalies or mechanical failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA349 for the full record.