Narrative:

I taxied out for departure and noticed the floats were sitting lower in the tails than I would have liked. I attempted a takeoff and began to retract the flaps when airborne. The tail began to settle and the aircraft would not maintain altitude. I landed hard, straight ahead on the next lake, and broke the float attachment structure. I had overloaded the aircraft with a center of gravity too far aft I believe, and once out of ground effect the plane would not fly. I had several opportunities to elect to not takeoff, and because I was too eager to get the customer satisfied, I decided to see 'if it would fly.' the items loaded had not been weighed ahead of time, leaving me to estimate how much I was loading. Apparently I underestimated. Factors that led to this incident were a perceived pressure from the customer to pack a certain number of items, too much of a 'let's get the job done attitude,' and ignoring the warning bells in my head when I taxied out and the float tails were lower than they should have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELIO COURIER 395, ON FLOATS. PLT SO OVERLOADED ACFT THAT IT WOULD NOT FLY OUTSIDE OF GND EFFECT. ACFT CTR OF GRAVITY WAS ALSO AFT OF THE AFT LIMIT.

Narrative: I TAXIED OUT FOR DEP AND NOTICED THE FLOATS WERE SITTING LOWER IN THE TAILS THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. I ATTEMPTED A TKOF AND BEGAN TO RETRACT THE FLAPS WHEN AIRBORNE. THE TAIL BEGAN TO SETTLE AND THE ACFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. I LANDED HARD, STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE NEXT LAKE, AND BROKE THE FLOAT ATTACHMENT STRUCTURE. I HAD OVERLOADED THE ACFT WITH A CTR OF GRAVITY TOO FAR AFT I BELIEVE, AND ONCE OUT OF GND EFFECT THE PLANE WOULD NOT FLY. I HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ELECT TO NOT TKOF, AND BECAUSE I WAS TOO EAGER TO GET THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED, I DECIDED TO SEE 'IF IT WOULD FLY.' THE ITEMS LOADED HAD NOT BEEN WEIGHED AHEAD OF TIME, LEAVING ME TO ESTIMATE HOW MUCH I WAS LOADING. APPARENTLY I UNDERESTIMATED. FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS INCIDENT WERE A PERCEIVED PRESSURE FROM THE CUSTOMER TO PACK A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ITEMS, TOO MUCH OF A 'LET'S GET THE JOB DONE ATTITUDE,' AND IGNORING THE WARNING BELLS IN MY HEAD WHEN I TAXIED OUT AND THE FLOAT TAILS WERE LOWER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.