Missing Pilot After Floatplane Found Submerged in Remote Lake

Casualties unknown • Sterling, AK, US

A float-equipped airplane was discovered upside down and partially submerged in a remote lake, leaving the pilot missing and presumed dead.

What happened

A pilot residing on a small island in a remote lake maintained a float-equipped airplane at his residence. On the day of the incident, neighbors observed the pilot performing repairs on a hole in one of the aircraft's floats. At approximately 1500, neighbors heard an airplane engine start up, though the aircraft itself was not seen.

At approximately 1720, a passing aircraft flying over the lake spotted the accident airplane partially submerged and floating upside down, roughly one-half mile from the pilot's island residence. Search personnel were dispatched to the scene and joined local neighbors at the site of the wreckage.

Rescue divers attempted to investigate the aircraft but were unable to determine if the plane was occupied prior to it sinking in 139 feet of water. The pilot remains missing and is presumed fatally injured.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1997-10-03 Piper PA-22-160 accident near Sterling, AK?

A float-equipped airplane was discovered upside down and partially submerged in a remote lake, leaving the pilot missing and presumed dead.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1997-10-03 involved a Piper PA-22-160, registration N8955D, at Sterling, AK.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

Undetermined.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X08943. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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