Accident Details
A floatplane was chartered to retrieve equipment from a burned hovercraft that had been beached approximately one mile south of Chinitna Bay. According to the pilot, the two passengers readied the gear for loading while the pilot manually held the aircraft off the beach to prevent damage to the floats. The pilot then loaded the airplane while one passenger held it steady.
After loading, the pilot taxied the aircraft and initiated a southbound takeoff. However, the airplane failed to get on the step. An inspection revealed that the second compartment from the front of the right float was full of water, while the other compartments remained dry.
While taxiing toward a sand beach located about 3 to 5 miles away, the nose of the aircraft went under the water. The occupants exited the aircraft with some difficulty. Shortly thereafter, the airplane rolled over, and a hole was observed in the number two compartment adjacent to the keel.
One passenger remained with the aircraft until rescued. The other passenger is presumed to have drowned while swimming to shore with the pilot.