It was a flyby gone wrong, not a takeoff. A classic example of what can happen when you have a perfectly good plan, then throw the plan away and "go for it". Repeated from my earlier post:
The camera crew set up on Tamarindo Beach, ready to shoot the approach and landing for the movie. But instead of flying from Cabo Velas, approaching Tamarindo from the west along the Playa Grande coastline, the big Grumman twin came roaring down the river from the north, putting on a show for the camera. On board were the pilot, "Hoot" Gibson, and local resident and California board shaper, the late Mike "Doc" Diffenderfer.
Approaching Tamarindo, the pilot started a right turn to follow the estuary, but his height was insufficient. Presumably he suddenly became aware of the power lines which cross the river at that point, and was forced to fly below them. The right pontoon caught the water, and jerked the aircraft to the right. Overcorrecting, the pilot put the left float into the water, and the aircraft swerved to that side. If you look at the video again, this is precisely what happens... the clip starts, however, after the plane has just barely touched down with a high power setting and lots of speed, so it looks like a takeoff run. Can't see the power lines in the clip, but the above explanation makes a little more sense than an experienced seaplane pilot starting a takeoff run in such a bad location, even if he was foolish enough to improvise when doing a low-level pass in some place he didn't know well.
I guess he didn't try to pull up immediately because the float digging in had him unsure of his directional control; he certainly had enough speed, initially.
Or maybe he was stoned; who knows?
by firemonte007 » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:38 am 
People Eating Tasty Animals.
