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I found this picture today in an old set of drawers that bought at an estate sale over 40 years ago.

seaplane floating on its wing

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    $\begingroup$ To me, looks like it has crashed in that photo (given the angle of the tailplane). $\endgroup$
    – user14897
    May 14, 2022 at 22:26
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    $\begingroup$ Is the out-of-focus nature part of the original photo or your photo of it? I.e, could it be improved? $\endgroup$
    – Jim
    May 14, 2022 at 22:28
  • $\begingroup$ Is there anything at all on the rear of the photo? Studio stamps can help with locations and dates simply by their design. $\endgroup$
    – Criggie
    May 17, 2022 at 1:37
  • $\begingroup$ The only thing on the bank is a stamp with the numbers 438 $\endgroup$
    – Sharon Marie Buckler
    May 17, 2022 at 21:44

1 Answer 1

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It looks to me to be a Keystone-Loening K-84 flying boat. Besides the engine configuration and the N struts on the wings, the best confirming tell tale is the open hatch on the wreck, which matches the one in the second image below.

As an ex bush pilot, I'd make an educated guess as to what happened to it and say it probably was damaged on landing, landing hard, or porpoising, or maybe from hitting a deadhead (semi-submerged log) such that it couldn't be taken off again, was run aground to keep from sinking, the people on board were rescued and the plane just left where it was, this being the days before you could airlift damaged airplanes out of the bush with helicopters.

I would imagine the picture was taken by a salvage crew sent out to recover parts some time later (quite a while later from the looks of it), or maybe just a traveller that happened on to it.

enter image description here enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ Wow! Nice find. $\endgroup$
    – Jim
    May 15, 2022 at 3:50
  • $\begingroup$ That prop's tips are scary-close to the windscreen and presumably the pilot's head. $\endgroup$
    – Criggie
    May 17, 2022 at 1:38
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    $\begingroup$ It's very similar to the Anderson Kingfisher homebuilt. My favourite bit is the suicide door hatch configuration, necessary to crawl out on the nose I guess. $\endgroup$
    – John K
    May 17, 2022 at 12:42

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