What happened
The incident occurred during a commercial air tour operation conducted under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The pilot had just completed the first leg of a cross-country route connecting various remote villages. Upon arrival at the stopover location, the pilot parked the aircraft and proceeded to unload three of the five passengers on board.
Two passengers remained inside the cabin as they continued their journey to the next destination village. While the airplane was stationary on the ground, a villager operating an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) pulled a sled into the area. The sled collided with the parked aircraft, specifically striking the right elevator assembly. The impact resulted in substantial damage to that control surface.
The investigation
NTSB investigators examined the wreckage and determined that the primary cause of the damage was the physical collision between the ground vehicle's towed load and the aircraft's flight controls. No mechanical failure or pilot error contributed to the event; it was an external ground handling incident.