Introduction
A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a training flight in an amphibious float-equipped weight-shift aircraft. The accident flight was the third flight with the student pilot, and the student pilot's first flight in the front seat.
Accident Narrative
During the takeoff roll, the flight instructor reported that they began to lose the center line, first to the left and then to the right. In this particular aircraft, turning to the right requires pushing the left pedal, and turning to the left requires pushing the right pedal. The instructor instructed the student pilot to release the throttle and attempted to take the controls back to keep the aircraft on the runway, but was unsuccessful. The aircraft veered off the runway to the right, the right float impacted the grass, and the aircraft spun 180 degrees.
Student Pilot Report
The student pilot stated that he told the flight instructor he would follow along with him on the controls during the takeoff to feel how he was moving them. He reported that when the aircraft veered off the runway to the right, he took his hands off the controls to allow the flight instructor to correct for the veer.
Damage and Mechanical Condition
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right lift strut. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.