What happened
A solo commercial certificated pilot was performing a positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, in a float-equipped airplane. While water-taxiing for takeoff, the aircraft encountered significant wind conditions, reported at 30 knots with gusts reaching 40 knots. These winds lifted the left wing of the aircraft, causing the right wing to strike the shallow bottom of the lake.
Following the impact, the aircraft righted itself, and the pilot was able to taxi the plane to the shore safely. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The inspection of the aircraft revealed structural damage to the right wing. Specifically, the damage included the right wingtip and approximately one-fifth of the right wing structure.