What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Persons onboard CFI and pilot (trainee). On 03/29/2025, at approximately 11:50 EDT (1550Z), CFI was conducting an instructional flight, which resulted in an emergency landing shortly after take-off from F57. Pre-flight checks, fuel sumping, addition of oil, and runup checks were completed and within normal parameters. Takeoff was initiated into a se direction and aircraft climbed was smooth. At approximately 200-300 feet, the engine lost power. The CFI took control and adjusted throttle from full to idle and back to full attempting to regain power but the engine lost all power. The CFI maneuvered for an emergency landing away from boat traffic and landed hard. Both pilots safely exited the plane with no injuries. DPE was first on the scene and noticed the fuel selector valve was ½” below the right tank detent. The aircraft was towed back to the shore and moved to hangar for further inspection.
A&P initiated a review and identified damage to struts on left float, including a broken connection at forward fuselage. The left float sustained a large hole from the propellor, and the left wing strut was bent at multiple points up to the wing. Prior to the FAA arrival, A&P completed the following checks (1) sumped the fuel, clean and clear, (2) removed and opened the oil filter, free of abnormal particles, (3) inspected the air filter, clear and intact. With FAA inspectors present on 16 April 2025, the A&P performed additional inspections to include: (1) drained carburetor bowl, clear (2) removed final fuel filter, normal, (3) removed and inspected plugs, normal, (4) checked compression, normal, (5) checked timing, normal, (6) bore scoped exhaust system, normal, (7) checked fuel flow at valve into bucket, normal. Following the engine inspection, A&P performed an engine run to duplicate the loss in power, which occurred with the fuel selector slightly out of detent for the right tank as the first responder (DPE) reported at the accident scene. With the selector in full detent position for either tank the engine ran normal at power. Determination - with the fuel selector being slightly out of detent fuel was allowed to flow to the engine at a low power setting, but when takeoff power was applied, engine fuel starvation and loss of power occurred causing the aircraft to descend and impact the surface (water) hard. It is noteworthy that the student pilot was in control when the engine lost power and the CFI took control of the aircraft at that moment.
As the FAA filed it
PERSONS ONBOARD CFI AND PILOT (TRAINEE). ON 03/29/2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:50 EDT (1550Z), CFI WAS CONDUCTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN EMERGENCY LANDING SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF FROM F57. PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS, FUEL SUMPING, ADDITION OF OIL, AND RUNUP CHECKS WERE COMPLETED AND WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. TAKEOFF WAS INITIATED INTO A SE DIRECTION AND AIRCRAFT CLIMBED WAS SMOOTH. AT APPROXIMATELY 200-300 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL AND ADJUSTED THROTTLE FROM FULL TO IDLE AND BACK TO FULL ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN POWER BUT THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE CFI MANEUVERED FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AWAY FROM BOAT TRAFFIC AND LANDED HARD. BOTH PILOTS SAFELY EXITED THE PLANE WITH NO INJURIES. DPE WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE AND NOTICED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ½” BELOW THE RIGHT TANK DETENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SHORE AND MOVED TO HANGAR FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.
A&P INITIATED A REVIEW AND IDENTIFIED DAMAGE TO STRUTS ON LEFT FLOAT, INCLUDING A BROKEN CONNECTION AT FORWARD FUSELAGE. THE LEFT FLOAT SUSTAINED A LARGE HOLE FROM THE PROPELLOR, AND THE LEFT WING STRUT WAS BENT AT MULTIPLE POINTS UP TO THE WING. PRIOR TO THE FAA ARRIVAL, A&P COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING CHECKS (1) SUMPED THE FUEL, CLEAN AND CLEAR, (2) REMOVED AND OPENED THE OIL FILTER, FREE OF ABNORMAL PARTICLES, (3) INSPECTED THE AIR FILTER, CLEAR AND INTACT. WITH FAA INSPECTORS PRESENT ON 16 APRIL 2025, THE A&P PERFORMED ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS TO INCLUDE: (1) DRAINED CARBURETOR BOWL, CLEAR (2) REMOVED FINAL FUEL FILTER, NORMAL, (3) REMOVED AND INSPECTED PLUGS, NORMAL, (4) CHECKED COMPRESSION, NORMAL, (5) CHECKED TIMING, NORMAL, (6) BORE SCOPED EXHAUST SYSTEM, NORMAL, (7) CHECKED FUEL FLOW AT VALVE INTO BUCKET, NORMAL. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE INSPECTION, A&P PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN TO DUPLICATE THE LOSS IN POWER, WHICH OCCURRED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SLIGHTLY OUT OF DETENT FOR THE RIGHT TANK AS THE FIRST RESPONDER (DPE) REPORTED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. WITH THE SELECTOR IN FULL DETENT POSITION FOR EITHER TANK THE ENGINE RAN NORMAL AT POWER. DETERMINATION - WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR BEING SLIGHTLY OUT OF DETENT FUEL WAS ALLOWED TO FLOW TO THE ENGINE AT A LOW POWER SETTING, BUT WHEN TAKEOFF POWER WAS APPLIED, ENGINE FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND AND IMPACT THE SURFACE (WATER) HARD. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS IN CONTROL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT MOMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.