What happened
The private pilot reported attempting to depart to the northeast, navigating against the river current. Wind conditions were variable, shifting from 270 degrees to 320 degrees at 15 knots. As the airplane reached flying speed, the wind shifted to a tailwind, and the airplane did not climb. The pilot stated he was unable to turn the airplane to follow the river, both floats struck the riverbank, and the airplane came to rest on the adjacent airport runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both float attach fittings, and the fuselage.
Findings
The investigation revealed that fuel exhaustion was not a factor, but rather environmental conditions played a critical role. The pilot's inability to maintain altitude was directly linked to the sudden wind shift. The aircraft's performance was insufficient to overcome the tailwind component during the critical takeoff phase.