What happened
While performing solo practice maneuvers to obtain a float endorsement, the pilot attempted to depart from a river. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft experienced porpoising, briefly lifting the left and then the right floats from the water. The aircraft subsequently veered toward the left side of the river and collided with the bank while maintaining a level attitude. Following the impact, the plane rolled onto its left side and became partially submerged in the water. An engine compartment fire ignited during the event but was short-lived. The pilot sustained serious injuries and was rescued from the wreckage by the aircraft owner.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the pilot possessed significant experience with land-based aircraft but had less than one hour of solo flight time on float-equipped aircraft. The river conditions at the time were challenging, characterized by low water levels and sandbars positioned just below or above the surface, which restricted the usable width of the takeoff area to under 100 feet. Additionally, the river featured a prominent bend near the accident site.
Several factors contributed to the severity of the outcome. The aircraft was not equipped with a shoulder harness, and the sliding friction-type lap belt buckle loosened during the impact. It was noted that the pilot's injuries might have been less severe with an improved restraint system. Furthermore, the investigation concluded that the river conditions were unsuitable for a pilot with such limited float experience and that the pilot failed to abort the takeoff once directional control was lost.