What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft holding VFR, awaiting special VFR clearance into the Ketchikan airport class e airspace, encountered deteriorating weather conditions and very gusty winds of 30+ knots and strong downdrafts. Aircraft was observed by a witness, on the southeast side of ward cove (ward cove cannery dock), rolling and pitching at a low altitude ( estimated 150-200 ft.) over the water, proceeding towards the opposite shoreline and tree covered rising terrain. The aircraft was unable to out climb the rising terrain. The right wing struck the tops of three trees which caused the wing to separate from the aircraft. The aircraft was observed rolling immediately to the right; 90DEGREES or more then went out of sight behind the trees where it impacted the ground nearly inverted.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT HOLDING VFR, AWAITING SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE INTO THE KETCHIKAN AIRPORT CLASS E AIRSPACE, ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND VERY GUSTY WINDS OF 30+ KNOTS AND STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS, ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF WARD COVE (WARD COVE CANNERY DOCK), ROLLING AND PITCHING AT A LOW ALTITUDE ( ESTIMATED 150-200 FT.) OVER THE WATER, PROCEEDING TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE SHORELINE AND TREE COVERED RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO OUT CLIMB THE RISING TERRAIN. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE TOPS OF THREE TREES WHICH CAUSED THE WING TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ROLLING IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIGHT; 90DEGREES OR MORE THEN WENT OUT OF SIGHT BEHIND THE TREES WHERE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND NEARLY INVERTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.