Incident Overview
A pilot was attempting to take off from a lake with a 12-foot canoe (estimated weight 35 pounds) strapped externally to one of the aircraft's floats. The lake, approximately one mile long, was oriented north-south. Three sides of the lake were bordered by high terrain, while the southern end featured swampy ground with low trees. There was no wind at the time of the attempted departure.
Takeoff Attempt
The pilot began the takeoff run from the north end of the lake, heading south. He reported difficulty in getting the aircraft onto the step, which required a higher speed for the floats to plane on the water's surface. The pilot used up too much of the lake's surface during this process and executed a steep turn to reverse direction and head north. He managed to become airborne while traveling north, but again had insufficient lake surface ahead to continue the climb. He then initiated another steep turn, this time to the left, aiming to go south.
Impact and Damage
During the second steep turn, the pilot stated that the wing stalled. The aircraft subsequently struck the water, and the impact ripped the floats from the aircraft. The pilot reported that this was his first experience attempting to fly with a canoe attached to the floats.
Findings
The investigation documented the sequence of events as described by the pilot. No additional factors or causal determinations were provided in the source material.