What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft transporting pg&e employees as well as federal government inspector to evaluate local resivior dams with recent snow melt as a hydroelectric service. The aircraft and passengers had been to two previous alpine resiviors that day. Pilot attempted two landings near the third resirvoir (kidd lake dam). These landing attempts were aborted due to pilot determination. The accident location was selected as an alternate landing zone. Pilot confirmed power available to support the new landing area. Pilot executed an approach to landing at the alternate landing zone to the west. As the aircraft came into ground effect (around 40' above the ground) a dust cloud formed and the aircraft struck a tree at 13'6" above the ground cutting the tree in half. The aircraft descended rapidly and rolled to the left coming to rest on its left side at approximately 120 degrees left bank and pointing to the west. 5 passengers and the pilot exited the aircraft without incident. Following notification to the operator/customer the passengers were transported to the local medical treatment facility to be evaluated for any unobserved injury. No serious injuries were noted.
This is the initial report and will be updated should additional information become available in the future.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTING PG&E EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR TO EVALUATE LOCAL RESIVIOR DAMS WITH RECENT SNOW MELT AS A HYDROELECTRIC SERVICE. THE AIRCRAFT AND PASSENGERS HAD BEEN TO TWO PREVIOUS ALPINE RESIVIORS THAT DAY. PILOT ATTEMPTED TWO LANDINGS NEAR THE THIRD RESIRVOIR (KIDD LAKE DAM). THESE LANDING ATTEMPTS WERE ABORTED DUE TO PILOT DETERMINATION. THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS SELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE LANDING ZONE. PILOT CONFIRMED POWER AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THE NEW LANDING AREA. PILOT EXECUTED AN APPROACH TO LANDING AT THE ALTERNATE LANDING ZONE TO THE WEST. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME INTO GROUND EFFECT (AROUND 40' ABOVE THE GROUND) A DUST CLOUD FORMED AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AT 13'6" ABOVE THE GROUND CUTTING THE TREE IN HALF. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES LEFT BANK AND POINTING TO THE WEST. 5 PASSENGERS AND THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. FOLLOWING NOTIFICATION TO THE OPERATOR/CUSTOMER THE PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY TO BE EVALUATED FOR ANY UNOBSERVED INJURY. NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE NOTED.
THIS IS THE INITIAL REPORT AND WILL BE UPDATED SHOULD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.