What happened
During cruise flight, a floatplane made contact with a lake surface. Following this impact, both floats separated from the aircraft.
The right float's separation caused the right door to open while in flight. Two unrestrained passengers seated in the rear of the aircraft were ejected through the open door during the event. The pilot reported that the aircraft had not been performing normally since takeoff, noting that it had struggled to gain altitude and required significant effort to become airborne.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft was conducted to determine if mechanical issues contributed to the separation. Investigators found no anomalies in the aircraft or its flight controls that would have prevented normal operation.