What happened
The aircraft was operating as part of a crew training exercise when the accident occurred. The student pilot was conducting blind landings and takeoffs under the hood. During the initial climb after takeoff, the aircraft was traveling at 65 knots and had reached an altitude of 100 feet. At this point, the student pilot pushed the yoke forward, causing the nose to drop. Simultaneously, the instructor reduced the manifold pressure. These actions led to a stall, and the seaplane crashed into the sea approximately 10 km southwest of Mukilteo.
The aircraft sank to a depth of 30 metres within five minutes of impact. The incident resulted in one fatality and six injuries among the personnel on board. The crew consisted of an instructor pilot, a student pilot, and four other service members.
Findings
Official findings attributed the accident to pilot error.