What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances in rough terrain, the passenger suffered fatal injuries, the pilot has unknown injuries, the acft was destroyed. (-23) on August 5, 1999, at about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180 floatplane, N8TL, was destroyed when it impacted a mountain slope about 700 MSL, near the east entrance to lake clark pass, about 39 miles west of Kenai, Alaska. The private pilot and one passenger on board were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by opportunity flying club, inc. of anchorage, Alaska. This was a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, which departed lake hood fordillingham, Alaska. A VFR flight plan was on file. At 1438, an ELT signal was received, and the wreckage was located at 1856 by the air force rescue helicopter. While conducting an on scene inspection, it was determined that the airplane struck a tree at about the 950' level MSL. The wreckage was found on a bearing of 060 degrees magnetic from impact with the tree. During interviews with other pilots flying through lake clark pass at the approximate time of the accident, it was determined that the weather was about 1200 MSL overcast and 2 miles visibility, rain, with an easterly wind of approximately 40 knots. (.4) the private pilot was attempting to transit a 20 mile long mountainous pass. He had delayed his flight three times the day of the accident. Pilot weather reports (pireps) from pilots who had flown through the pass indicated the weather deteriorated about one mile west of the accident site to 700 feet overcast ceilings and 1 mile visibility. The pireps described rain, mist, and winds from the east of 25 knots, gusting to 40 knots. The airplane impacted a tree on a small ridge on the side of the valley at 950 feet MSL, and came to rest 380 linear feet away, at an altitude of 700 feet MSL. The final flight path was on a ground track of 060 degrees magnetic, back toward the eastern entrance to the pass. The NTSB investigator-in-charge interviewed four pilots who successfully transited the pass during the time period surrounding the accident. All four indicated that at 950 feet MSL, the accident airplane would have been at or into the bases of the overcast. All four also indicated they flew through the pass between 300 and 800 feet in order to maintain visual contact with the terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN ROUGH TERRAIN, THE PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE PILOT HAS UNKNOWN INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (-23) ON AUGUST 5, 1999, AT ABOUT 1400 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 180 FLOATPLANE, N8TL, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN SLOPE ABOUT 700 MSL, NEAR THE EAST ENTRANCE TO LAKE CLARK PASS, ABOUT 39 MILES WEST OF KENAI, ALASKA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY OPPORTUNITY FLYING CLUB, INC. OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THIS WAS A 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED LAKE HOOD FORDILLINGHAM, ALASKA. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. AT 1438, AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED, AND THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT 1856 BY THE AIR FORCE RESCUE HELICOPTER. WHILE CONDUCTING AN ON SCENE INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AT ABOUT THE 950' LEVEL MSL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON A BEARING OF 060 DEGREES MAGNETIC FROM IMPACT WITH THE TREE. DURING INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER PILOTS FLYING THROUGH LAKE CLARK PASS AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WEATHER WAS ABOUT 1200 MSL OVERCAST AND 2 MILES VISIBILITY, RAIN, WITH AN EASTERLY WIND OF APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS. (.4) THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRANSIT A 20 MILE LONG MOUNTAINOUS PASS. HE HAD DELAYED HIS FLIGHT THREE TIMES THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. PILOT WEATHER REPORTS (PIREPS) FROM PILOTS WHO HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE PASS INDICATED THE WEATHER DETERIORATED ABOUT ONE MILE WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE TO 700 FEET OVERCAST CEILINGS AND 1 MILE VISIBILITY. THE PIREPS DESCRIBED RAIN, MIST, AND WINDS FROM THE EAST OF 25 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 40 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TREE ON A SMALL RIDGE ON THE SIDE OF THE VALLEY AT 950 FEET MSL, AND CAME TO REST 380 LINEAR FEET AWAY, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 700 FEET MSL. THE FINAL FLIGHT PATH WAS ON A GROUND TRACK OF 060 DEGREES MAGNETIC, BACK TOWARD THE EASTERN ENTRANCE TO THE PASS. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE INTERVIEWED FOUR PILOTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITED THE PASS DURING THE TIME PERIOD SURROUNDING THE ACCIDENT. ALL FOUR INDICATED THAT AT 950 FEET MSL, THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT OR INTO THE BASES OF THE OVERCAST. ALL FOUR ALSO INDICATED THEY FLEW THROUGH THE PASS BETWEEN 300 AND 800 FEET IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TERRAIN. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.