What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft, operated by privacy data omitted of a seaplane school with a sea rated commercial pilot/student on board, departed its base at altaville, CA (elev 1000'MSL) on a local instructional flight at 1220 PDT. VFR conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Prior to takeoff, the instructor and student were heard discussing a proposed flight to Cherry lake (elev 4,500'MSL), a reservoir located in the foothills of the sierras. When they did not return from the flight, friends initiated an airborne search and located the wreckage in a canyon approximately 2 miles north of Cherry lake. Investigators determined that the seaplane impacted the terrain in a nose down attitude, and at a low speed. The seaplane was found in the middle of the canyon (elev 5180'MSL) on a large granite boulder with surrounding trees. The direction of impact was towards the north and rising terrain. Photographs taken by the student during the accident flight were recovered and contained evidence that the airplane had made an approach to Cherry lake towards the south, followed by a departure to the north up the canyon in the direction of the accident site at an apparently low altitude and in the direction of rising terrain.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF A SEAPLANE SCHOOL WITH A SEA RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT/STUDENT ON BOARD, DEPARTED ITS BASE AT ALTAVILLE, CA (ELEV 1000'MSL) ON A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AT 1220 PDT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE HEARD DISCUSSING A PROPOSED FLIGHT TO CHERRY LAKE (ELEV 4,500'MSL), A RESERVOIR LOCATED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIERRAS. WHEN THEY DID NOT RETURN FROM THE FLIGHT, FRIENDS INITIATED AN AIRBORNE SEARCH AND LOCATED THE WRECKAGE IN A CANYON APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF CHERRY LAKE. INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THAT THE SEAPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND AT A LOW SPEED. THE SEAPLANE WAS FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CANYON (ELEV 5180'MSL) ON A LARGE GRANITE BOULDER WITH SURROUNDING TREES. THE DIRECTION OF IMPACT WAS TOWARDS THE NORTH AND RISING TERRAIN. PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY THE STUDENT DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WERE RECOVERED AND CONTAINED EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD MADE AN APPROACH TO CHERRY LAKE TOWARDS THE SOUTH, FOLLOWED BY A DEPARTURE TO THE NORTH UP THE CANYON IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT AN APPARENTLY LOW ALTITUDE AND IN THE DIRECTION OF RISING TERRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.