What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had attempted to repair the left main gear seal (water to fusalage) with epoxy and electrical tape after being damaged during beaching. During the attempted takeoff run the aircraft appeared to be sitting low in the water, the takeoff run appeared to continue and the aircraft impacted a boat wake, the aircraft submarined and broke apart. The aircraft came to a stop upright but submerged to it's overwing center engine. The aircraft front end was separated from the main fusalage during the impact. The pilot was removed from the cockpit area by bystanders and pronounced dead by EMT at the shore.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SEAL (WATER TO FUSALAGE) WITH EPOXY AND ELECTRICAL TAPE AFTER BEING DAMAGED DURING BEACHING. DURING THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF RUN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE SITTING LOW IN THE WATER, THE TAKEOFF RUN APPEARED TO CONTINUE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A BOAT WAKE, THE AIRCRAFT SUBMARINED AND BROKE APART. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT BUT SUBMERGED TO IT'S OVERWING CENTER ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT FRONT END WAS SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN FUSALAGE DURING THE IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE COCKPIT AREA BY BYSTANDERS AND PRONOUNCED DEAD BY EMT AT THE SHORE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.