What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On a flight for the reported purpose of scattering the passengers deceased husbands ashes, the aircraft, according to eyewitness accounts, made a slow left turn to a nose down attitude and hit mid columbia river water in near vertical attitude and sank. Post accident examniation of the aircraft confirmed continuity of all flight controls with severeance of cables and tubes consistent with post impact damage. Propeller damage signatures indicate the engine was not at a higher power setting at impact due to mid span blade rearward bending with very little blade twisting signatures.
As the FAA filed it
ON A FLIGHT FOR THE REPORTED PURPOSE OF SCATTERING THE PASSENGERS DECEASED HUSBANDS ASHES, THE AIRCRAFT, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, MADE A SLOW LEFT TURN TO A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND HIT MID COLUMBIA RIVER WATER IN NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND SANK. POST ACCIDENT EXAMNIATION OF THE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED CONTINUITY OF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WITH SEVEREANCE OF CABLES AND TUBES CONSISTENT WITH POST IMPACT DAMAGE. PROPELLER DAMAGE SIGNATURES INDICATE THE ENGINE WAS NOT AT A HIGHER POWER SETTING AT IMPACT DUE TO MID SPAN BLADE REARWARD BENDING WITH VERY LITTLE BLADE TWISTING SIGNATURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.