What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Unofficial weather conditions reported by a pilot that landed approximately 09:30 am local (AKST) at Port Alsworth was Port Alsworth Airport was VFR and clear but the north side of lake clark had dense fog up to 200 feet and was overcast at 700 feet. Above 700 feet was clear with 10 miles visibility.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure, but reduced visibility conditions were reported along the flight's anticipated flight route, including low-lying ice fog over lake clark. The lake clark pass west (qlw) weather camera approximately 16 nautical miles to the north east of Port Alsworth, site elevation 261 ft MSL lat. 60* 22 25.32 long 153* 53 24 south (230*) facing camera showed dense fog with no visibility could not see past the tree line adjacent to the camera station.
The closest weather reporting facility was at the iliamna airport, iliamna, Alaska, about 32 miles south-southwest of the Port Alsworth Airport. At 0953, a weather observation from the iliamna airport was reporting, in part: wind, 360 degrees (true) at 16 knots with gusts to 22 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; cloud and sky conditions, 1,200 feet overcast; temperature, 3 degrees f; dew point, 1 degrees f; altimeter, 30.16 inhg.
The accident flight originated at the Port Alsworth Airport, Port Alsworth, at approximately 09:55 am local (AKST)., en route to the merrill field airport, anchorage, Alaska, the flight's final destination for the day. No flight plan was filed for the flight.
The aircraft departed Port Alsworth Alaska. The accident pilot discussed what the best route to take to anchorage, AK over the common traffic advisory frequency with an inbound lake and pen air pilot. The inbound pilot reported that he stated that he spoke with the accident pilot a couple minutes after the pilot departed the Port Alsworth Airport and he told him the tops of the clouds were about 2,000 feet and from his perspective, it looked open at miller valley. The accident pilot replied "looking good under here, I'm gonna keep going." No further radio transmissions were received from the accident pilot.
On December 8, about 1530, searchers located personal items floating in lake clark that were later positively identified as belonging to the missing occupants. Also recovered were three airplane landing gear wheel assemblies, a co-pilot (right side) seat, as well as cargo from the missing airplane. The rest of the airplane has not yet been located, and it is presumed to have sunk in the deep waters of lake clark.
As the FAA filed it
UNOFFICIAL WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED BY A PILOT THAT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 09:30 AM LOCAL (AKST) AT PORT ALSWORTH WAS PORT ALSWORTH AIRPORT WAS VFR AND CLEAR BUT THE NORTH SIDE OF LAKE CLARK HAD DENSE FOG UP TO 200 FEET AND WAS OVERCAST AT 700 FEET. ABOVE 700 FEET WAS CLEAR WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE AIRPLANE'S POINT OF DEPARTURE, BUT REDUCED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED ALONG THE FLIGHT'S ANTICIPATED FLIGHT ROUTE, INCLUDING LOW-LYING ICE FOG OVER LAKE CLARK. THE LAKE CLARK PASS WEST (QLW) WEATHER CAMERA APPROXIMATELY 16 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE NORTH EAST OF PORT ALSWORTH, SITE ELEVATION 261 FT MSL LAT. 60* 22 25.32 LONG 153* 53 24 SOUTH (230*) FACING CAMERA SHOWED DENSE FOG WITH NO VISIBILITY COULD NOT SEE PAST THE TREE LINE ADJACENT TO THE CAMERA STATION.
THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY WAS AT THE ILIAMNA AIRPORT, ILIAMNA, ALASKA, ABOUT 32 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE PORT ALSWORTH AIRPORT. AT 0953, A WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM THE ILIAMNA AIRPORT WAS REPORTING, IN PART: WIND, 360 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 16 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 22 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUTE MILES; CLOUD AND SKY CONDITIONS, 1,200 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 3 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 1 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 30.16 INHG.
THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PORT ALSWORTH AIRPORT, PORT ALSWORTH, AT APPROXIMATELY 09:55 AM LOCAL (AKST)., EN ROUTE TO THE MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, THE FLIGHT'S FINAL DESTINATION FOR THE DAY. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PORT ALSWORTH ALASKA. THE ACCIDENT PILOT DISCUSSED WHAT THE BEST ROUTE TO TAKE TO ANCHORAGE, AK OVER THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY WITH AN INBOUND LAKE AND PEN AIR PILOT. THE INBOUND PILOT REPORTED THAT HE STATED THAT HE SPOKE WITH THE ACCIDENT PILOT A COUPLE MINUTES AFTER THE PILOT DEPARTED THE PORT ALSWORTH AIRPORT AND HE TOLD HIM THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS WERE ABOUT 2,000 FEET AND FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, IT LOOKED OPEN AT MILLER VALLEY. THE ACCIDENT PILOT REPLIED "LOOKING GOOD UNDER HERE, I'M GONNA KEEP GOING." NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE ACCIDENT PILOT.
ON DECEMBER 8, ABOUT 1530, SEARCHERS LOCATED PERSONAL ITEMS FLOATING IN LAKE CLARK THAT WERE LATER POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS BELONGING TO THE MISSING OCCUPANTS. ALSO RECOVERED WERE THREE AIRPLANE LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLIES, A CO-PILOT (RIGHT SIDE) SEAT, AS WELL AS CARGO FROM THE MISSING AIRPLANE. THE REST OF THE AIRPLANE HAS NOT YET BEEN LOCATED, AND IT IS PRESUMED TO HAVE SUNK IN THE DEEP WATERS OF LAKE CLARK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.