What happened
At the conclusion of a deer hunting trip, a private pilot attempted to depart from a small, hourglass-shaped lake. An Alaska State Trooper, conducting an aerial game patrol, observed a float-equipped airplane taxiing in a southwest direction from the northeast shoreline of the lake.
The lake's geography features a narrow section located approximately one-third of the way from its southwest end, characterized by shallow water at the narrowest point. During the event, winds were blowing from the northeast at 5 to 10 knots, creating waves of 4 to 5 inches against the southwestern shore.
The trooper initially expected the aircraft to taxi toward the southwest and then depart toward the northeast. However, when the airplane failed to become airborne, the trooper returned to the area and discovered the aircraft resting against the southwest shore. The plane had collided with a small bluff along the shoreline. Due to the small size of the lake, the trooper was unable to land his aircraft, necessitating a response from search and rescue personnel via helicopter.
The investigation
An investigation of the site determined the lake was 760 feet long via GPS measurements. An on-scene examination of the aircraft revealed no preimpact malfunction.