What happened
A private pilot, who did not hold an instrument rating, departed on a cross-country flight toward a remote destination in a float equipped airplane. The pilot was accompanied by a passenger who held commercial and instrument ratings. After the flight was reported overdue, search personnel located the wreckage three days later.
The aircraft had collided with mountainous terrain at an elevation of 2,200 feet while traveling along its intended flight path. The accident site was situated within a range of hills reaching a maximum elevation of 2,452 feet, which were surrounded by low, flat terrain.
Weather conditions reported at the 1514 special weather observation near Iliamna, Alaska, located approximately 37 miles east of the site, included broken clouds at 2,400 feet and an overcast ceiling at 4,000 feet. Visibility was 4 miles in light rain and mist, with a temperature of 55 degrees, a dew point of 52 degrees, and winds from 100 degrees at 13 knots.