What happened
The incident occurred during an active maritime patrol operation. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was engaged in a specific tactical maneuver, circling around a merchant ship to monitor or inspect it. While executing this circular flight path over the water, the seaplane suddenly went out of control. The loss of control was immediate and total, leading to the aircraft plunging into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The crash resulted in catastrophic consequences for the personnel on board. All eight crew members were killed in the incident. There were no survivors reported from the event, marking it as a fatal accident with complete loss of life for the operating team.