What happened
The pilot had attempted an earlier flight to Silver Lake that same morning but was forced to abort the mission because of low ceilings and limited visibility. Upon returning to the area at 1110 ADT, the weather conditions had improved slightly regarding ceiling height; however, layers of stratus clouds and fog remained below the main cloud base.
Witnesses observed the aircraft circling twice, leading them to believe the pilot intended to land on the water. During a descending left turn with a bank angle of 15 to 20 degrees, the aircraft struck the water surface using its left float. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce high above the water again. At the apex of this bounce, a loud engine noise was heard, after which the aircraft pitched down abruptly and crashed into the water.
When the water and spray settled, witnesses saw two floats, the rear section of the fuselage, and debris floating on the surface. Approximately two minutes later, they observed the two occupants climbing onto the floating wreckage. Witnesses began constructing a log raft to rescue them, but before the raft could be completed, the occupants had drifted out of sight due to fog and rain. A search was conducted for the occupants, but they could not be found and were presumed to have drowned.