Airplane Impacted A Lake Swell, Leading It To Skip, Then Pitch Up And Bank To One Side Before Impacting The Water Analysis: The pilot was conducting a personal flight in the amphibious airplane with one passenger. During the step phase of the water takeoff (when most of the seaplane’s weight is supported by lift rather than the buoyancy of the floats), the airplane impacted a lake swell, leading it to skip, then pitch up and bank to one side before impacting the water. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and witness accounts indicated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident.
