Cessna T206H N379ME accident near Big Bend-Gold Bar, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that during the approach to a lake over glassy water, he misjudged the height of the airplane above the water’s surface. He reported that he “had no sense of depth perception” and the airplane impacted the water when he thought it was about 10 ft above the surface. The pilot chose to set the airplane on the water surface to avoid departing with possible damage. However, the airplane handed hard and the float struts collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR24LA303 for the full record.