What happened
An amphibious float-equipped airplane was performing a supply delivery flight, traveling from a paved airport runway toward a remote lodge located on a lake. During the flight, the pilot observed that the aircraft was unable to maintain its standard cruise attitude or airspeed. Suspecting the aircraft was tail-heavy, the pilot instructed a passenger in the rear cabin to move toward the front of the plane.
Upon reaching the destination lake, the aircraft touched down on the water with its landing gear still extended. This caused the aircraft to nose down into the water upon impact. Because the cargo in the aft cabin had not been properly secured, the supplies shifted forward during the nose-down motion, pinning both the pilot and the front-seat passenger against the instrument panel.
While the rear passenger attempted to clear the debris to free the occupants, the aircraft began to sink. Both the front-seat passenger and the pilot managed to exit the submerged cockpit under their own power. However, the pilot failed to reach the surface and subsequently died from drowning.
Findings
An investigation into the accident revealed that the landing gear had not been retracted following the initial takeoff from the paved runway. Additionally, the cargo within the cabin was not properly restrained, which contributed to the entrapment of the crew. The front-seat passenger also noted that the pilot had not utilized a pre-landing checklist during the approach.