What happened
The aircraft was configured for a takeoff into swells rather than against the wind. The copilot, seated on the left, executed the takeoff roll while the pilot monitored the procedure. As the airframe approached flying speed, the pilot signaled the copilot to raise the nose slightly. In response to this input, the aircraft was lifted by a wave swell, initiating a sequence of bounces that increased in both height and impact force.
During these bounces, crew members reported hearing a sharp noise, which may have been caused by striking floating debris, potentially compromising the hull's integrity. As the aircraft continued to bounce, the copilot inadvertently nosed over. In an attempt to correct the attitude, the pilot released the throttles to grasp the control yoke. This action caused the engine power to drop immediately at a critical stage of the maneuver.
Before power could be reapplied, the aircraft landed heavily and decelerated abruptly. The airframe partially sank and sustained damage beyond repair. All 12 crew members escaped the incident unhurt.
Findings
The official investigation attributed the accident to pilot error. The release of the throttles during a critical phase of the takeoff sequence, combined with the challenging water conditions, led to the loss of power and subsequent heavy landing.