Accident Details
A pilot and a flight instructor were conducting a local flight in a float-equipped airplane from a seaplane base. The pilot reported that a crosswind was present from the southeast and that he planned to take off to the southwest, incorporating a 30° left turn while the airplane was "on step" to avoid a lake weed bloom that was in progress.
During the takeoff attempt, while the airplane was on step, the pilot made a left turn toward an opening in the weeds. The airplane then swung around a buoy and subsequently capsized. A witness observed that during the takeoff, the left float was higher than the right and that the right wing dipped downward.
The pilot later reported to a responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector that centrifugal force acting on the airplane combined with the left crosswind caused the left wing to lift and the right float to sink into the water.
Damage and Equipment
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mount. There were no reported mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.