What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on takeoff and sustained substantial damage. (.4) the certificated private pilot was conducting touch and go landings in a float equipped airplane. The pilot indicated that during the landing approach, the airplane developed a sink rate that 'felt mushy.' The pilot added engine power and aligned the airplane with the water. The right wing dropped, and the tip of the right float dug into the water. The right float assembly was torn off the fuselage, and the right wing struck the water. The airplane then sank. (-23) on landing, aircraft tipped, right float touched water first and was torn off. Aircraft sank in 30 feet of water. The pilot reported, during interview on 09/17/98, that he was moving the aircraft, for the owner, to obtain routine inspection and maintenance. Also, he reported that while the aircraft was under water, the box that contained the log books floated away and is still in the lake somewhere. All maintenance records were lost. The owner is vectored services privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON TAKEOFF AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS IN A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE DEVELOPED A SINK RATE THAT 'FELT MUSHY.' THE PILOT ADDED ENGINE POWER AND ALIGNED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE WATER. THE RIGHT WING DROPPED, AND THE TIP OF THE RIGHT FLOAT DUG INTO THE WATER. THE RIGHT FLOAT ASSEMBLY WAS TORN OFF THE FUSELAGE, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE THEN SANK. (-23) ON LANDING, AIRCRAFT TIPPED, RIGHT FLOAT TOUCHED WATER FIRST AND WAS TORN OFF. AIRCRAFT SANK IN 30 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED, DURING INTERVIEW ON 09/17/98, THAT HE WAS MOVING THE AIRCRAFT, FOR THE OWNER, TO OBTAIN ROUTINE INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE. ALSO, HE REPORTED THAT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER WATER, THE BOX THAT CONTAINED THE LOG BOOKS FLOATED AWAY AND IS STILL IN THE LAKE SOMEWHERE. ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE LOST. THE OWNER IS VECTORED SERVICES ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.