Incident Overview
A floatplane accident occurred when the pilot, distracted by the task of pumping water from the floats, allowed the aircraft to drift downwind from a nearby fishing vessel. The pilot then elected to take off directly into the wind, which also aligned with the direction of the sun.
Sequence of Events
Before takeoff, the pilot became preoccupied with pumping water from the floats. During this time, the aircraft drifted downwind from a fishing vessel. After completing the pumping, the pilot initiated a takeoff into the wind. The wind direction was directly toward the sun, creating sun glare. A normal rough water takeoff was performed, and the aircraft climbed to about 30 feet above ground level (AGL). At that altitude, the pilot saw the silhouette of the fishing vessel's rigging against the sun glare. Attempting to avoid a collision, the pilot maneuvered but was unable to prevent the aircraft from hitting a mast on the vessel. Following the impact, the aircraft crashed into the bay.
Conclusion
The collision resulted from the pilot's decision to take off into wind and sun after becoming distracted while pumping water, leading to a failure to maintain awareness of the nearby vessel. The aircraft struck the mast and subsequently crashed in the bay. No further details were provided in the source.