What happened
The pilot departed from a sand bar located near the Bernard Glacier on August 8, 1985. After dropping off passengers earlier in the day, the pilot did not return to the location to pick them up. The aircraft was never seen again after this departure.
On August 12, 1991, hunters discovered the wreckage of the aircraft. The site was located at coordinates 61-11N 141-42W in mountainous terrain. The impact occurred at the 1,000-foot level. The initial crash and subsequent rock slides caused the wreckage to be widely scattered across the area.
The investigation
The investigation relied on the discovery of the wreckage by hunters six years after the last known flight. The condition of the debris field indicated a high-energy impact with the terrain.