What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N7691M was taking off from lake alexander, Minnesota to the west. The water had a light chop, some gusting winds and cat paws on the surface, no white caps. The Cessna 175 was accelerating up to normal speed, the pilot lifted off when a wind gust lifted the right wing up, and the left float aft end touched the water dragging the aircraft slightly to the left. The pilot rolled the ailerons to the right, and applied the rudder to the right and the winds pushed the right wing higher to the point of turning the aircraft 180 degrees. Then the left wing tip contacted the water and it nosed in the lake and flipped over, breaking off both floats. The aircraft was under the surface of the lake within a minute of impact. The pilot and passenger released the shoulder harness and belts and swam up to the surface uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
N7691M WAS TAKING OFF FROM LAKE ALEXANDER, MINNESOTA TO THE WEST. THE WATER HAD A LIGHT CHOP, SOME GUSTING WINDS AND CAT PAWS ON THE SURFACE, NO WHITE CAPS. THE CESSNA 175 WAS ACCELERATING UP TO NORMAL SPEED, THE PILOT LIFTED OFF WHEN A WIND GUST LIFTED THE RIGHT WING UP, AND THE LEFT FLOAT AFT END TOUCHED THE WATER DRAGGING THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT.THE PILOT ROLLED THE AILERONS TO THE RIGHT, AND APPLIED THE RUDDER TO THE RIGHT AND THE WINDS PUSHED THE RIGHT WING HIGHER TO THE POINT OF TURNING THE AIRCRAFT 180 DEGREES. THEN THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE WATER AND IT NOSED IN THE LAKE AND FLIPPED OVER, BREAKING OFF BOTH FLOATS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE WITHIN A MINUTE OF IMPACT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RELEASED THE SHOULDER HARNESS AND BELTS AND SWAM UP TO THE SURFACE UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.