NTSB Factual Report

On September 27, 2001, about 0946 central daylight time, a Cessna 208, N12712, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with water and a dock during a hard landing on Wynne Lake, near Aurora, Minnesota. The corporate flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 on an IFR flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and six passengers were uninjured. The floatplane originated its flight from Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota at 0830, and was landing on Wynne Lake at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated:

I lined up dogleg with the ESE Edge of the lake in order to fly close to the north shore as I

touched down. Once I cleared the [obstacles] I put the ignition on, prop full, fuel on both,

flaps 20 [degrees] and checked gear up, powered back to get a good rate of descent

over [obstacles] so I would not eat up the length of the lake positioning to land. (smooth

surface) I came off the prop (as a brake) and began my round out higher than normal as I

could feel an unusually high descent rate. In a matter seconds I could tell something was

wrong as I rounded out and needed more bank angle to increase my turn rate. As I flared

the plane continued to descend and the left float hit the water before I was ready and it

hooked the plane immediately left about 45 [degrees] and then the rt float caught and

began to slide sideways until we came to rest with the plane's tail up on the shore 90

[degrees] to the lake. I shut everything off, fuel, master, etc and exited my door[.] I

opened the pass cabin door and everyone jumped onto the beach, I got their golf clubs

out and they went golfing[.] ... After a while of sitting there I realized the flaps never came

down when I put the handle down. The c/b [circuit breaker] was popped out.

A witness stated:

I first saw the plane as it came in just over the trees on the eastern shore. Just as here

cleared the shoreline, the plane started to drop and bank hard to the left (or south). For a

short time I could not see the plane as it was blocked by the trees on the west bank. When

it came back into view it was heading south and practically on the water. It seemed to

come up short on the turn, kind of bounced a pontoon off the water or a dock causing the

plane to rock. When it rocked back to the left it appeared to hook or dip the left wing into

the water or maybe a rock point causing the plane to spin to the left and sideways. It hit the

middle dock, which probably slowed it down and came to rest facing back to the east,

resting in shallow water leaning to the right, propped up by the right wing. It all happened

very fast and I can't be positive of what hit what causing what.

A Cessna 208 information manual was reviewed. The manual stated, "A standby system can be used to operate the flaps in the event the primary system should malfunction."

The pilots safety recommendation stated, "Possible aural or light indication that a breaker has opened the circuit."

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot not maintaining the proper descent rate during the landing. Factors were the flap's popped circuit breaker, the pilot not verifying the flap's position, the glassy water, and the dock.