ANC02LA084

The solo airline transport pilot was departing in a float-equipped airplane on an on-demand air taxi flight. As the airplane climbed through 100 feet above the water, the pilot's attention was temporarily distracted when items from the airplane's map compartment fell onto the floor of the airplane. As he leaned over to the right side of the airplane to recover the items, the airplane descended, and the airplane's floats struck the surface of the water. The airplane bounced into the air, and the pilot continued his climb. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage area near the float attachments. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.

On July 26, 2002, about 1038 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 206 airplane, N756BW, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with water during takeoff from Olga Bay, located about 30 miles west of Old Harbor, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand air taxi flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Redemption, Inc., dba Island Air Service, Kodiak, Alaska. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated about 1035 from Olga Bay, and was en route to Kodiak, with a planned stop at Moser Bay, Alaska.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on July 26, the pilot reported that just after takeoff from Olga Bay, as the airplane passed through 100 feet above the water, his attention was temporarily distracted after items from the airplane's map compartment fell onto the floor of the airplane. He said that as he leaned over to the right side of the instrument panel to close the map compartment and pickup the items on the floor, the airplane descended, and the floats of the airplane struck the surface of the water. The airplane bounced into the air, and he continued his climb. He said that during climb he noticed that the lower potion of the windscreen had pulled away from the fuselage, so he elected to bypass his planned stop at Moser Bay, and fly directly to Kodiak. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portions of the fuselage, adjacent to the forward float attach points.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.