What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday, June 21st, 2019 at 3:30P, N6314V, a Helio courier H-250, owned by the pilot, departed Seward, Alaska enroute to a remote, grass airstrip located near johnstone bay, Alaska approximately 27 miles east of Seward to pick up two passengers who had been flown out to their remote property a few days prior by a local part 135 air carrier, Seward air taxi. After loading two passengers at the airstrip, it appears during takeoff from the remote strip, to the left of the end of the grass strip, the left wing struck a tree at approximately 85 ft. altitude, and the aircraft impacted the ground within a few hundred feet of the tree. The aircraft was consumed by a post-crash fire. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured.
According to the owner of Seward air taxi, the two deceased passengers had chartered Seward air taxi, an FAA part 135 single-pilot operator, on June 18th for transport to their property located somewhere near the remote air strip, with a confirmed pickup date of June 25th. During that time, Seward air taxi installed wheel skis on their only aircraft, a Cessna 185, to conduct multiple glacier flights.
On June 21st, Seward air taxi received a call via satellite phone from the two passengers requesting an early pickup on that day. In lieu of reconfiguring the Cessna 185 from wheel skis back to tires, Seward air taxi opted to accept the accident pilot?s offer to retrieve the passengers on the air taxis behalf using his personal Helio courier aircraft, N6314V. The accident pilot departed Seward at 3:30P on June 21st, and was expected back around 5:00P. When the aircraft did not return, the owner of Seward air taxi flew out to the remote strip around 5:47P and discovered the wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST, 2019 AT 3:30P, N6314V, A HELIO COURIER H-250, OWNED BY THE PILOT, DEPARTED SEWARD, ALASKA ENROUTE TO A REMOTE, GRASS AIRSTRIP LOCATED NEAR JOHNSTONE BAY, ALASKA APPROXIMATELY 27 MILES EAST OF SEWARD TO PICK UP TWO PASSENGERS WHO HAD BEEN FLOWN OUT TO THEIR REMOTE PROPERTY A FEW DAYS PRIOR BY A LOCAL PART 135 AIR CARRIER, SEWARD AIR TAXI. AFTER LOADING TWO PASSENGERS AT THE AIRSTRIP, IT APPEARS DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE REMOTE STRIP, TO THE LEFT OF THE END OF THE GRASS STRIP, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE AT APPROXIMATELY 85 FT. ALTITUDE, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF THE TREE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED.
ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF SEWARD AIR TAXI, THE TWO DECEASED PASSENGERS HAD CHARTERED SEWARD AIR TAXI, AN FAA PART 135 SINGLE-PILOT OPERATOR, ON JUNE 18TH FOR TRANSPORT TO THEIR PROPERTY LOCATED SOMEWHERE NEAR THE REMOTE AIR STRIP, WITH A CONFIRMED PICKUP DATE OF JUNE 25TH. DURING THAT TIME, SEWARD AIR TAXI INSTALLED WHEEL SKIS ON THEIR ONLY AIRCRAFT, A CESSNA 185, TO CONDUCT MULTIPLE GLACIER FLIGHTS.
ON JUNE 21ST, SEWARD AIR TAXI RECEIVED A CALL VIA SATELLITE PHONE FROM THE TWO PASSENGERS REQUESTING AN EARLY PICKUP ON THAT DAY. IN LIEU OF RECONFIGURING THE CESSNA 185 FROM WHEEL SKIS BACK TO TIRES, SEWARD AIR TAXI OPTED TO ACCEPT THE ACCIDENT PILOT?S OFFER TO RETRIEVE THE PASSENGERS ON THE AIR TAXIS BEHALF USING HIS PERSONAL HELIO COURIER AIRCRAFT, N6314V. THE ACCIDENT PILOT DEPARTED SEWARD AT 3:30P ON JUNE 21ST, AND WAS EXPECTED BACK AROUND 5:00P. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN, THE OWNER OF SEWARD AIR TAXI FLEW OUT TO THE REMOTE STRIP AROUND 5:47P AND DISCOVERED THE WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.