What happened
A pilot and three passengers were traveling in a float equipped airplane back to a remote fishing lodge. As part of the arrival procedure, the pilot flew over the lodge at approximately 200 feet above the ground to notify the occupants of their arrival.
A witness observed the aircraft performing a right turn toward a river area, where the pilot had planned to land and taxi to the lodge's boat dock. During this maneuver, the nose of the airplane suddenly dropped toward the ground. The aircraft then descended behind several trees and out of the witness's sight.
The pilot has no memory of the accident. While the front seat passenger also could not recall the crash, they did remember feeling a sensation of being pushed downward into their seat during the turn.
The investigation
Following the recovery of the aircraft, investigators performed an examination of the engine. This inspection yielded no evidence of any mechanical malfunction occurring prior to the impact.