20010603010949A

(-23)Pilot stated 06/04/01 that left float struck blunt object, possibly submerge log, that punctured float. Pilot was unsure whether this occurred during taxi, takeoff, or landing. On 06/05/01, pilot stated that takeoff was uneventful, aircraft became airbrone and was difficult to maintain in flight or climb. Pilot stated that he reduced power after reaching a few feet above water and immediately landed hard, after which he observed wrinkles in left float inboard skin near aft strut attachment. Pilot stated aircraft was "sluggish" in turns while taxiing and listing to the left. He returned to shore and he and passenger tied up aircraft. Pilot stated he was unable to contact anyone via aircraft VHF radio and activated ELT. Inspection of aircraft after ferry to fai showed substantial left lower longeron deformation aft of left aft fuselage attachment fitting, as well as fabric skin wrinkles between left forward and aft fuselage fittings. Records inspection on 06/11/01 showed current empty weight computation of 1384.5 pounds, leaving useful load of 365.5 pounds. Pilot stated on 06/11/01 that he and his passenger each weighed around 200 pounds, and aircraft had full wing tank (18 gal.) And a quarter-full wing tank at time of incident. (.19) on June 3, 2001, about 0920 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4468Z, sustained substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from a lake, located about 15 miles east of Minto, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. On June 12, 2001, the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic) was notified by a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector from the fairbanks flight standards district office (FSDO), that the airplane had been damaged. The inspector reported that the pilot departed a lake with water in the airplane floats. The inspector said the airplane became airborne, settled on the surface of the lake, and landed hard. The inspector reported that a fuselage longeron was bent, adjacent to the left, aft, float attachment point. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB iic, on June 13, the pil ot reported that he was departing the lake, and the airplane became airborne in ground affect. The airplane would not climb, and the pilot said he aborted the takeoff. The airplane settled on the lake and hit hard. The pilot said he did not think the fuselage was significantly damaged. On July 17, 2001, at 1210, during a telephone conversation with the pilot's mechanic, the mechanic reported the left fuselage longeron was bent about 2 inches. The mechanic planned to cut the bent portion of the longeron out of the fuselage and install a repair sleeve.