Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot in commands failure to abort the takeoff and his misjudgment of the distance required to perform a safe takeoff under the conditions present.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot determined that it would be better to depart into the wind and climb over a 15 foot obstacle of trees. He attempted to lift off prematurely and dragged the heal of a float. The pilot said that at this time, he 'should have pulled the power off and rejected the takeoff'. However, he pushed the nose of the airplane down, regained airspeed, and lifted off at the edge of the lake. As the airplane lifted off, the bottom of the floats scraped the edge of the shoreline. At an altitude of about 5 feet, the airplane collided with trees. In a report filed with the ntsb, the pilot stated that he misjudged the distance required for a safe takeoff.
Source record
Factual narrative
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