What happened
The purpose of the flight was to provide a passenger with a sightseeing tour of Lake Pocumcus. While flying just above the surface of the lake, the pilot executed a 90-degree climb.
According to a witness on the shore, the aircraft gained approximately 300 feet in altitude but lost nearly all of its airspeed during the maneuver. The witness observed that the wings remained level, suggesting the pilot pushed the nose over. Following this maneuver, the airplane descended straight down and impacted the water. Multiple witnesses reported hearing the engine running continuously from the start of the maneuver until the moment of impact.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the engine and airframe was conducted, which revealed no anomalies. A photograph captured by a witness on the shoreline just before the impact showed that the aircraft's elevators were in a trailing edge up position. Additionally, testing determined the pilot's blood-alcohol level was 0.075%, which exceeds the FAA regulatory limit of 0.040%.