Kodiak Aircraft Co Inc KODIAK 100 N726SH accident near New York, New York

Probable cause

An inadvertent collision with a large wave during touchdown on a river, which resulted in a subsequent bounce and hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that he performed a go-around during the first approach to the river seaplane base as the water did not look good (choppy). The water looked good during the second approach and the airplane touched down smooth, but the pilot did not see a large wave off the left side due to flat light, and the left float contacted the wave. The contact resulted in the airplane bouncing up into the air and contacting the water a second time, resulting in a hard landing and collapsed left float strut. The hard landing also resulted in substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA26LA261 for the full record.