What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Float equipped PA12 found floating up side down in lake. Pilot not found in deep lake. Seen patching a float prior. (From .4) the pilot maintained a residence on a small island in a remote lake where he kept a float equipped airplane. Neighbors observed the pilot repairing a hole in one of the airplane's floats. The neighbors heard an airplane engine start up about 1500. The airplane was not observed. About 1720, an airplane over-flying the lake, observed the accident airplane partially submerged. It was floating upside down, about 1/2 mile from the pilot's residence. Search personnel were dispatched to the airplane and upon arrival, joined several of the pilot's neighbors at the partially submerged airplane. Rescue divers were unable to determine if the airplane was occupied before it sank in 139 feet of water. The pilot is missing and presumed to be fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
FLOAT EQUIPPED PA12 FOUND FLOATING UP SIDE DOWN IN LAKE. PILOT NOT FOUND IN DEEP LAKE. SEEN PATCHING A FLOAT PRIOR. (FROM .4) THE PILOT MAINTAINED A RESIDENCE ON A SMALL ISLAND IN A REMOTE LAKE WHERE HE KEPT A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. NEIGHBORS OBSERVED THE PILOT REPAIRING A HOLE IN ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FLOATS. THE NEIGHBORS HEARD AN AIRPLANE ENGINE START UP ABOUT 1500. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT OBSERVED. ABOUT 1720, AN AIRPLANE OVER-FLYING THE LAKE, OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED. IT WAS FLOATING UPSIDE DOWN, ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE PILOT'S RESIDENCE. SEARCH PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AIRPLANE AND UPON ARRIVAL, JOINED SEVERAL OF THE PILOT'S NEIGHBORS AT THE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED AIRPLANE. RESCUE DIVERS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRPLANE WAS OCCUPIED BEFORE IT SANK IN 139 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT IS MISSING AND PRESUMED TO BE FATALLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.