What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A sightseeing plane carrying cruise ship passengers crashed into water. (.4)the aircraft (acft) was on an air taxi/sightseeing flight (flt), which was an optional tour to a cruise liner trip. After viewing glaciers, flt was returning to land. Approach to airport (arpt) was along inlet shore, which had steep mountains descending to the water & infrequent areas of small beach. About 1,200' above water & 1-1/2 mi from arpt, engine lost power. Acft was ditched about 100' from shore near small cliffs. Passengers (pax) exited 1st into 39 deg water, but none exited with life vests. Plt threw one life vest out & exited as acft sank. With help from her husband, a pax donned the life vest that was thrown out; she partially inflated it using oral inflation tube, although it had CO2 cylinder for rapid inflation. Rescue helicopter arrived in about 10 min. Pax with life vest & plt were rescued; 2 pax drowned; other 2 pax were not found. Surviving pax did not recall briefing about location or use of life vests. Life vests were stored in seat-back pouches, but pouch openings were covered by slip-cover type seat covers. Exam of engine revealed left magneto impulse coupling had failed, stopping r otation of magneto drive gear. Several gear teeth on intermediate idler gear were damaged, disconnecting cranshaft from accessory gear train.
As the FAA filed it
A SIGHTSEEING PLANE CARRYING CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS CRASHED INTO WATER. (.4)THE AIRCRAFT (ACFT) WAS ON AN AIR TAXI/SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT (FLT), WHICH WAS AN OPTIONAL TOUR TO A CRUISE LINER TRIP. AFTER VIEWING GLACIERS, FLT WAS RETURNING TO LAND. APPROACH TO AIRPORT (ARPT) WAS ALONG INLET SHORE, WHICH HAD STEEP MOUNTAINS DESCENDING TO THE WATER & INFREQUENT AREAS OF SMALL BEACH. ABOUT 1,200' ABOVE WATER & 1-1/2 MI FROM ARPT, ENGINE LOST POWER. ACFT WAS DITCHED ABOUT 100' FROM SHORE NEAR SMALL CLIFFS. PASSENGERS (PAX) EXITED 1ST INTO 39 DEG WATER, BUT NONE EXITED WITH LIFE VESTS. PLT THREW ONE LIFE VEST OUT & EXITED AS ACFT SANK. WITH HELP FROM HER HUSBAND, A PAX DONNED THE LIFE VEST THAT WAS THROWN OUT; SHE PARTIALLY INFLATED IT USING ORAL INFLATION TUBE, ALTHOUGH IT HAD CO2 CYLINDER FOR RAPID INFLATION. RESCUE HELICOPTER ARRIVED IN ABOUT 10 MIN. PAX WITH LIFE VEST & PLT WERE RESCUED; 2 PAX DROWNED; OTHER 2 PAX WERE NOT FOUND. SURVIVING PAX DID NOT RECALL BRIEFING ABOUT LOCATION OR USE OF LIFE VESTS. LIFE VESTS WERE STORED IN SEAT-BACK POUCHES, BUT POUCH OPENINGS WERE COVERED BY SLIP-COVER TYPE SEAT COVERS. EXAM OF ENGINE REVEALED LEFT MAGNETO IMPULSE COUPLING HAD FAILED, STOPPING R OTATION OF MAGNETO DRIVE GEAR. SEVERAL GEAR TEETH ON INTERMEDIATE IDLER GEAR WERE DAMAGED, DISCONNECTING CRANSHAFT FROM ACCESSORY GEAR TRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.