What happened
Following a flyby of a local event, the pilot of a vintage amphibious airplane transitioned the aircraft over a lake situated near the seabase. During the flight, the pilot attempted to establish communication with personnel on the ground by utilizing a common traffic advisory frequency previously observed during the week. After receiving no response from ground parties, the pilot adjusted the flight controls to initiate a slow descent.
While the aircraft was descending, the pilot used a mobile device to send a text message to a contact to inquire about the correct radio frequency. After receiving a reply and subsequently updating the aircraft's radio settings, the pilot placed the mobile phone down. At this moment, the pilot looked up from the device, at which point the aircraft struck the surface of the lake. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the hull, the front fuselage, the left wing, and both sponsons.
Findings
There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions involving the aircraft prior to the accident that would have prevented standard operation. The incident occurred while the pilot was distracted by the use of a mobile phone to manage communications.