Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing and subsequent separation of the airplane's sponson.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot initially reported that while landing the amphibious airplane on a lake, the left sponson struck a submerged object and separated from the airplane causing substantial damage. A subsequent examination of the airplane showed no evidence that the sponson had impacted anything. No preexisting anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, sponson, or sponson attachment. The pilot did not respond to repeated requests for information from the NTSB.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 4, 2009, about 1300 central daylight time, a Consolidated Aeronautics, Lake LA-4-200, N56LA, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a water landing on Lake Michigan, near Racine, Wisconsin. During the landing, the left sponson separated from the airplane. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The departure time and location were not determined. The pilot initially reported to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors that the airplane's sponson struck a submerged object during landing. The FAA inspector that examined the airplane after the accident relayed in a telephone interview that there was no evidence that the sponson had impacted anything during the accident. No pre-existing anomalies were found with respect to the airplane, sponson, or sponson attachment. The pilot did not respond to further requests for information by the National Transportation Safety Board's investigator.