What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During climb out approximately 200 feet above the trees, following a take off from horseshoe pond, carrying 3 passengers, the Cessna CE-U-206-F floatplane's engine stopped. The pilot then switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank and started a turn back to the pond. Just when the aircraft hit the trees, the engine came back to life at full power. The aircraft rotated inverted as it came to rest on the ground. The pilot exited the aircraft just prior to a post crash fire. The pilot was able to pull out two of the passengers but was unable to assist the third passenger from the aircraft. During an interview the following day, the pilot stated that he forgot to switch the fuel selector valve from the empty tank to the one with fuel in it. Eventually all three passengers died and the aircraft was totally destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING CLIMB OUT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES, FOLLOWING A TAKE OFF FROM HORSESHOE POND, CARRYING 3 PASSENGERS, THE CESSNA CE-U-206-F FLOATPLANE'S ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK AND STARTED A TURN BACK TO THE POND. JUST WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TREES, THE ENGINE CAME BACK TO LIFE AT FULL POWER. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED INVERTED AS IT CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO A POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT TWO OF THE PASSENGERS BUT WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST THE THIRD PASSENGER FROM THE AIRCRAFT. DURING AN INTERVIEW THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FORGOT TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE FROM THE EMPTY TANK TO THE ONE WITH FUEL IN IT. EVENTUALLY ALL THREE PASSENGERS DIED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.