What happened
The aircraft was observed flying at an altitude of approximately 50 feet above the surface of the water. During this low-altitude operation, the nose of the airplane pitched upward, leading to a stall condition. This aerodynamic failure resulted in the airplane impacting directly into the water.
Following the accident, emergency responders attended to the student pilot. An attending physician and a police officer reported that they detected the smell of alcohol on the student pilot's breath while at the hospital after the incident occurred. Despite these observations, the pilot refused to submit to a drug or alcohol test.
The investigation
The available source material does not provide detailed mechanical findings or inspection results from the investigation phase.
Findings
Contributing factors identified in the report include the student pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude and the subsequent stall. Additionally, the presence of alcohol was noted by medical and law enforcement personnel at the hospital.