CEN16LA244

The airline transport pilot stated that a preflight check of the flight controls revealed no anomalies, and he and the passenger taxied the float-equipped airplane from its dock onto the lake for takeoff. The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, the flight controls felt abnormal, and he elected to return to the lake for landing. He stated that he could not correct the airplane's bank angle before touching down, and the airplane landed hard on the water in a right bank. The pilot and passenger egressed, and the airplane subsequently sank. Attempts to locate and retrieve the airplane following the accident were unsuccessful; therefore, no examination of the airplane was performed, and the reason for the pilot's reported control difficulties could not be determined.

On July 2, 2016, about 1945 central daylight time, a Pollack Quicksilver Sprint2S airplane, N250AB, impacted Lake Palestine, Texas, during a forced landing. The airline transport rated pilot and his passenger were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions existed in the area of the accident site about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.According to the pilot's accident report, he performed a preflight check of the airplane while it was tied to a dock. He taxied out about 1930 and the flight control check was "all good." The pilot started a takeoff to the south and after takeoff, the controls did not feel right. He arrested the climb out and turned north. The controls still did not "seem right" so the pilot turned right to return for a landing. He could not arrest all of the right turn and landed hard with a right bank. The airplane impacted the water with its right float first and the float took on water. The airplane remained afloat as the pilot began towing it to shore. The towing process was delayed as wardens and troopers requested reports and it was during this time that the airplane sank. The pilot hired a salvage company. However, the airplane was not located and therefore could not be examined as part of this investigation.