What happened
The pilot was engaged in an otter relocation program that required daily checks of traps located across several remote sites. On the day of the accident, the pilot departed from a public lake near Forestport, New York, to visit a series of locations. The accident occurred at the final destination of the flight.
While the approach and landing at the site were performed normally, the aircraft encountered a gust of wind during the step-taxi phase. This wind caused the airplane to yaw to the right toward the wind, leading to the left wingtip impacting the water. Following the sequence, the aircraft came to rest upright on the shore. The pilot was not injured and subsequently hiked 20 miles to reach civilization.
Records indicate that the pilot had previously landed at this specific location between 25 and 30 times. Topographical maps show the body of water involved in the incident was approximately 1,000 feet long and 60 feet wide. At the time of the accident, winds were reported from the southwest at 10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.