The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an aborted water takeoff run which resulted in the airplane colliding with a canyon wall. A contributing factor was the submerged object that the airplane struck during the takeoff run.
— NTSB Determination
According to the pilot, he was making a water takeoff from a finger of a lake that extended into a narrow canyon. During the takeoff run, he was almost on the step when the right float struck a submerged object. He aborted the takeoff by reducing power. The airplane drifted to the right, and the right wingtip contacted the canyon wall. The airplane pivoted to the right, the right float contacted the canyon wall, and the airplane came to a stop. The right wing sustained structural damage.
According to the pilot, he was making a water takeoff from a finger of a lake that extended into a narrow canyon. During the takeoff run, he was almost on the step when the right float struck a submerged object. He aborted the takeoff by reducing power. The airplane drifted to the right, and the right wingtip…
The accident on 2005-10-20 involved a Cessna A185F, registration N7377H, at Lake Powell, UT.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an aborted water takeoff run which resulted in the airplane colliding with a canyon wall. A contributing factor was the submerged object that the airplane struck during the takeoff run.
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