What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot had landed his float equipped PA-18 on a short pond, 759 feet, to hunt deer. A passing aircraft observed him taxiing south with a north tail wind of 5 to 10 knots. It looked like he was going to taxi to the south end of the pond and takeoff to the north into the wind. The aircraft was about 1/3 of the way down the lake at this time. After about one minute the passing aircraft turned back to observe the takeoff and could not see the aircraft. The PA-18 was found at the down wind end of the pond, the south end. The aircraft had crashed into the rocks at the end of the lake at water level. An on site investigation indicated the aircraft impacted at a high rate of speed with the engine producing power. Camping gear and a deer were found in the baggage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT HAD LANDED HIS FLOAT EQUIPPED PA-18 ON A SHORT POND, 759 FEET, TO HUNT DEER. A PASSING AIRCRAFT OBSERVED HIM TAXIING SOUTH WITH A NORTH TAIL WIND OF 5 TO 10 KNOTS. IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO TAXI TO THE SOUTH END OF THE POND AND TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH INTO THE WIND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE LAKE AT THIS TIME. AFTER ABOUT ONE MINUTE THE PASSING AIRCRAFT TURNED BACK TO OBSERVE THE TAKEOFF AND COULD NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT. THE PA-18 WAS FOUND AT THE DOWN WIND END OF THE POND, THE SOUTH END. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED INTO THE ROCKS AT THE END OF THE LAKE AT WATER LEVEL. AN ON SITE INVESTIGATION INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITH THE ENGINE PRODUCING POWER. CAMPING GEAR AND A DEER WERE FOUND IN THE BAGGAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.