Accident Details
A float-equipped airplane, operated by an airline transport certificated pilot, took off from a lake approximately 7 miles from a lodge. The flight was en route to an unnamed float pond to retrieve a guide and camping equipment. When the aircraft did not return, a co-worker reported it missing. The wreckage was later found about 10 miles from the lodge, near the lake where the airplane had originally departed. The pilot and the guide, who was the sole passenger, were aboard at the time of the accident. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the guide received fatal injuries.
The accident site was on a rolling, tundra-covered coastal plain with no trees and no brush taller than 18 inches.
Aircraft Condition
Postaccident examination revealed that the wings were bent downward symmetrically from the centerline of the fuselage, with the wingtips touching the ground. The tail was bent 20 to 30 degrees to the left aft of the cabin. The horizontal stabilizer remained parallel to the ground and was undamaged. The floats were displaced aft approximately 24 inches, spread apart, and had impacted the bottom of the wings. The leading edges of both wings were straight with little damage. There were no ground scars indicating forward motion, and dirt spray forward of the wreckage was minimal. Both propeller blades exhibited chord-wise scratching and leading-edge gouging.
Examination Findings
Postaccident inspection of the engine disclosed that the sparkplugs were clean and dry. The engine exhaust manifolds showed sharp creases and bending without cracking at the folds. The throttle was in the full forward position, the mixture was full rich, carburetor heat was set to cold, and the engine primer was in and locked. The right wing fuel tank was selected, and fuel was present in both wing tanks, the header tank, and the gascolator. The magneto selector was in the "both" position. The airplane's flap handle was mechanically captured in the flaps extended position, and the elevator trim was set in the forward (nose down) position. The floats, forward fuselage, and nose-bowl exhibited crush-lines diverging upward 25 to 35 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the airplane. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies was found in the engine or airframe.