Floatplane Engine Failure During Lake Takeoff (N4409M)

What happened

The pilot was operating a float-equipped airplane for a commercial flight when the incident occurred. The event began during the takeoff phase from a body of water. At this time, the aircraft's engine experienced a sudden loss of power. The specific cause of this power loss could not be determined at the time of the report.

Following the loss of power, the airplane descended rapidly toward the surface of the lake. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude or airspeed sufficient for a controlled landing. Consequently, the aircraft impacted the water with significant force. This hard landing resulted in substantial structural damage to the fuselage of the airplane.

The investigation

A postaccident inspection of the engine was conducted to determine if mechanical failure contributed to the event. The examination focused on identifying any internal malfunctions or component failures that could explain the power loss. The inspection disclosed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction within the engine.