What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Alaska state trooper (ast) spotted accident aircraft on routine patrol at the mouth of the seal river approximately 62 se of Cordova Alaska. Accident aircraft was resting in the water . Ast landed and was able to determine that there were no occupants in accident aircraft. Ast secured accident aircraft. Ast contacted C-206 that was overhead who had on board a member of a party staying at a cabin 25 miles away. They were looking for accident aircraft who was overdue. Ast was told that two men went to get ice for coolers and did not return. Ast was able to determine by tracks on the sand the following:accident aircraft landed then had footprints to and from water. Accident aircraft departure tracks appears to have struck a lip in the beach which slowed the aircraft and then bounced, struck a stump and veered into the water. The seatbelt harnesses were released not cut or ripped. It is believed that the pilot and passenger were swept away by the swift current of the river after egress. The passenger's body washed ashore several days after the accident. The pilot has not been found and is presummed to have received fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ALASKA STATE TROOPER (AST) SPOTTED ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON ROUTINE PATROL AT THE MOUTH OF THE SEAL RIVER APPROXIMATELY 62 SE OF CORDOVA ALASKA. ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING IN THE WATER . AST LANDED AND WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. AST SECURED ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.AST CONTACTED C-206 THAT WAS OVERHEAD WHO HAD ON BOARD A MEMBER OF A PARTY STAYING AT A CABIN 25 MILES AWAY. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WHO WAS OVERDUE. AST WAS TOLD THAT TWO MEN WENT TO GET ICE FOR COOLERS AND DID NOT RETURN. AST WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE BY TRACKS ON THE SAND THE FOLLOWING:ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT LANDED THEN HAD FOOTPRINTS TO AND FROM WATER.ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DEPARTURE TRACKS APPEARS TO HAVE STRUCK A LIP IN THE BEACH WHICH SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN BOUNCED, STRUCK A STUMP AND VEERED INTO THE WATER.THE SEATBELT HARNESSES WERE RELEASED NOT CUT OR RIPPED. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFT CURRENT OF THE RIVER AFTER EGRESS.THE PASSENGER'S BODY WASHED ASHORE SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAS NOT BEEN FOUND AND IS PRESUMMED TO HAVE RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.