What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed on takeoff. (.4)the pilot reported he was attempting to take off downriver in his float-equipped airplane. The airplane became airborne, but the pilot said it would not accelerate. He looked inside the cockpit at the engine and RPM gauges, and all were normal. When he looked outside, the airspeed had decayed, and the airplane settled onto the river. The pilot turned the airplane to miss a gravel bar, but struck a tree with the right wing. The airplane turned to the right and collided with the river bank. Postaccident inspection of the airplane's engine disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomaly.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON TAKEOFF. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF DOWNRIVER IN HIS FLOAT-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, BUT THE PILOT SAID IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. HE LOOKED INSIDE THE COCKPIT AT THE ENGINE AND RPM GAUGES, AND ALL WERE NORMAL. WHEN HE LOOKED OUTSIDE, THE AIRSPEED HAD DECAYED, AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED ONTO THE RIVER. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO MISS A GRAVEL BAR, BUT STRUCK A TREE WITH THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH THE RIVER BANK. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL ANOMALY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.