Incident Overview
A pilot conducting a fish-spotting flight for a boat experienced a loss of radio communication. In an effort to reestablish contact, the pilot executed a series of low-altitude passes. A box pattern was flown, and multiple communication attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot then decided to drop a written message into the boat.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was distracted by the task and fatigued from nearly three hours of flight, leading to insufficient altitude maintenance. When he realized a collision with the water was imminent, he added power and pulled back on the control yoke, but was unable to avoid contacting the ocean surface. The pilot stated that before impact, all controls were functioning and responsive, and the engine was operating smoothly with no indication of malfunction. The only anomaly he could recall was that the engine did not seem to respond after he added power seconds before impact. Due to low altitude, he had no time to send a distress call or troubleshoot the engine's lack of response.
Conclusion
The pilot successfully exited the aircraft after the collision. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.