What happened
A commercial pilot and one passenger were departing from a remote beach area in a tailwheel equipped airplane. The mission involved the U.S. government picking up a passenger who had been performing fishery surveillance.
As the pilot initiated the takeoff roll toward the west, the aircraft traveled parallel to the shoreline. At the time of the accident, a southwest crosswind was blowing from the beach toward the water. During the takeoff sequence, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, causing the aircraft to drop off the edge of a five-foot-high sand dune and strike an area of hard, wet sand. This impact led to a ground loop to the right, which resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries reported.