SEAPLANE CLIPS TREE ON TKOF.

Narrative

FLYING A HIGH PERFORMANCE FLOATPLANE; IN WHICH THE PLT HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE WITH; ON A SIGHT SEEING TOUR; THE L FLOAT STRUCK A TREE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. UPON LEAVING THE DOCK WITH 2 PAX THE PLT TAXIED OUT INTO THE LAKE TO MAKE A WIND DIRECTION DETERMINATION. THE WIND APPEARED TO COME FROM THE SW EVEN THOUGH A TKOF WAS MADE TO THE SE A COUPLE HRS BEFORE THIS FLT. THE APPARENT WIND POINTED IN THE DIRECTION OF LIMITED TKOF DISTANCE AND A RISING SHORELINE WITH TREES; SO THE ACFT WAS TAXIED FARTHER OUT TO GET A BETTER ASSESSMENT. THE ACFT OPERATOR HAD EARLIER ASKED TO HAVE TKOFS INTO THE WIND; AND THE WIND WAS STILL INDICATED FROM THE AREA OF LIMITED WATER LENGTH; INSTEAD OF A LONGER AREA THAT WOULD REQUIRE A XWIND. A POINT HAD BEEN DETERMINED PRIOR TO FLYING IN THIS AREA FOR A GO/NO GO DECISION AT WHICH THE FLOATPLANE MUST HAVE TAKEN OFF AND BEGUN CLBOUT. THE PLT TAXIED TO THE DOWNWIND END OF THE LAKE AND USING ALL THE AVAILABLE LENGTH TOOK OFF IN THE SW DIRECTION. THE PLANE MADE THE TKOF AT THE GO/NO GO POINT BUT BEGAN TO LOSE LIFT AS IT CLBED OUT. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB BUT UPON SEEING IT WOULD NOT COMPLETELY CLR THE TREES AT THE FAR END; THE PLT TURNED INTO A NARROW CLRING INSTEAD OF A 180 DEG TURN DOWNWIND. UPON LEVELING OUT; A TREE STRUCK THE L FLOAT AT THE BUMPER; DAMAGING THE FRONT OF THE FLOAT; BUT LEAVING THE REST OF THE ACFT UNDAMAGED. THE ACFT HAD NO PROB LNDG; AND EXCEPT FOR DAMAGE TO THE L WATER RUDDER; WAS ABLE TO MAKE A TAXI TO THE DOCK. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF IN THE DIRECTION WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM AN OUT INSTEAD OF THE NO WIN SIT OF THE NARROW PASSAGE. A XWIND TKOF WOULD HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER DECISION. BECAUSE THERE WERE NO INJURIES; OR NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; THE PLT WAS RATHER LUCKY IN THIS OTHERWISE NO WIN SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A MAULE M-4 WITH A 210 HP 6 CYLINDER ENG. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH STRAIGHT 2000 DISPLACEMENT FLOATS. THE LAKE WAS NOT AN ESTABLISHED SEAPLANE BASE BUT ASSOCIATED WITH LODGES ON THE CHIPPAWA FLOW. THE GO/NO GO POINT WAS ESTABLISHED BY ONE OF THE LODGE OWNERS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN JULY AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS ABOUT 82 DEGS F BUT THE LAKE WAS LESS THAN 1000 FT ELEVATION SO THE RPTR DID NOT BELIEVE DENSITY ALT WAS AS MUCH OF A FACTOR AS THE WINDS AROUND THE HILLS CAUSING DOWN DRAFTS. THIS RPTR WAS CARRYING 2 PAX ON A 20 MIN SCENIC TOUR.