- Date
- September 17, 1982, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Near Nondalton, AK
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N33249Robertson C-U206F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19820917047599A
- Case key
- 71904
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff from hudson lake the left wingtip contacted the water causing the acft to cartwheel. The acft came to rest inverted & floated for a short time before sinking. A witness reported the waves on the lake were at least 4 ft high & breaking over the floats, & the wx was the worst he has seen since arriving in late may of 1982. The witness reiterated gale force winds & heavy rain. He also stated the waves in the cove where the takeoff started were opposite to the direction of takeoff & the waves were not a true indication of the wind direction. The waves were almost 90 deg different than the waves in the center of the lake. He said it was difficult to tell when the acft got on step because it was bouncing around badly & the water was hitting the struts. The only person he could see wearing any flotation device was the plt. All the life vests were located under each passenger seat secured in a pouch by metal twists fasteners.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33249
- Reported as
- Robertson C-U206F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20602694
- Airframe hours
- 1,428
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Lake Clark Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Tikchik Lodge
- Departed
- Near Nondalton, AK
- Destination
- Z30 · Port Alsworth, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,863 total · 81 in this make and model · 2,567 as pilot in command · 348 in the last 90 days · 104 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 23 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 120 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.