What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was a part 135 fishing charter from longmere lake, Soldotna, AK to big river lake, cook inlet. Personnel on board were the pilot, a fishing guide, and 4 passengers. The flight departed longmere lake without incident and flew over kenai, AK prior to crossing the cook inlet to the destination. En route weather was VFR with some low level fog over the inlet and in the area of big river lake. Altitude and surface winds were estimated at 8 knots. Surface fog did not impede forward visibility and was not a factor in the accident. Upon arrival at the lake, the pilot flew over the lake from the south to north to determine surface winds on the lake prior to landing. This flight profile was characteristic of the operator. The pilot stated he planned to complete a descending left turn to land past a bog area in the lake prior to water taxiing to boats at the south end of the lake awaiting the passengers. The flight profile to landing was not sufficient to clear the bog. The aircraft crashed approxmately 60 feet from the leading edge of the bog. The right wing departed the aircraft forward from the centripetal force of the impact. The left wing was broken approximately half way along the wing spar. The engine, cowling, and propeller was damaged upon impact with the ground. The pilot and passengers were able to evacuate the aircraft. There was minor injuries to one passenger from the impact. The passenger received a cut over the left ear from the seat belt restraint requiring 12 stitches.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS A PART 135 FISHING CHARTER FROM LONGMERE LAKE, SOLDOTNA, AK TO BIG RIVER LAKE, COOK INLET. PERSONNEL ON BOARD WERE THE PILOT, A FISHING GUIDE, AND 4 PASSENGERS.THE FLIGHT DEPARTED LONGMERE LAKE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND FLEW OVER KENAI, AK PRIOR TO CROSSING THE COOK INLET TO THE DESTINATION.EN ROUTE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH SOME LOW LEVEL FOG OVER THE INLET AND IN THE AREA OF BIG RIVER LAKE. ALTITUDE AND SURFACE WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 8 KNOTS.SURFACE FOG DID NOT IMPEDE FORWARD VISIBILITY AND WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.UPON ARRIVAL AT THE LAKE, THE PILOT FLEW OVER THE LAKE FROM THE SOUTH TO NORTH TO DETERMINE SURFACE WINDS ON THE LAKE PRIOR TO LANDING. THIS FLIGHT PROFILE WAS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE OPERATOR.THE PILOT STATED HE PLANNED TO COMPLETE A DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO LAND PAST A BOG AREA IN THE LAKE PRIOR TO WATER TAXIING TO BOATS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE AWAITING THE PASSENGERS.THE FLIGHT PROFILE TO LANDING WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE BOG. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXMATELY 60 FEET FROM THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BOG.THE RIGHT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD FROM THE CENTRIPETAL FORCE OF THE IMPACT. THE LEFT WING WAS BROKEN APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY ALONG THE WING SPAR.THE ENGINE, COWLING, AND PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT.THERE WAS MINOR INJURIES TO ONE PASSENGER FROM THE IMPACT. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED A CUT OVER THE LEFT EAR FROM THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT REQUIRING 12 STITCHES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.