The pilot and a passenger of an Icon A5 light sport amphibian suffered minor injuries after the airplane flipped in the water upon landing, apparently with the gear in the down and locked position.
The mishap happened on Okanagan Lake in West Kelowna, British Columbia, on Monday. Video and photos of the aftermath show the A5 floating in the water with its landing gear protruding from the bottom of the aircraft, suggesting it was down when the aircraft touched the lake’s surface, causing it to flip over on its back.
Small plane flips over in Okanagan Lake. Pilot error the likely cause. Two Alberta men survived the crash https://t.co/S5mYHkhFVh pic.twitter.com/NxAgeYp4Ip
— AM 1150 (@AM1150) June 25, 2019
Seaplane pilots are trained in the dangers of landing on water with the gear extended, as the resulting forces of a flip and the submerged cabin often prove fatal to occupants.
Local authorities said the 72-year-old pilot and a 59-year-old passenger were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Canadian accident investigators arrived on scene soon after the crash.
Icon has to date delivered more than 100 A5s to customers.
