What happened
On the day of the accident, two separate aircraft were operating at an altitude of approximately 200 feet over a remote river. The first aircraft, a N1348, was being operated by a certified airline transport pilot. This flight was traveling in a northwest direction and was carrying three passengers. The purpose of the flight was to transport clients to a fishing lodge following a pickup from a nearby remote lake.
Simultaneously, a second aircraft, a N7832H, was traveling southbound over the same river area at a similar altitude of 200 feet. This aircraft was operated by a single commercial pilot.
According to reports from witnesses on the ground, the two planes struck one another in mid-air. Following the impact, both aircraft descended into the river. Observers noted that there was no visible attempt by either the pilot of N1348 or the pilot of N7832H to perform evasive maneuvers prior to the collision. At the time of the event, meteorological conditions were characterized by scattered cloud cover at 3,500 feet and a visibility of 25 miles.
Findings
Witness accounts indicate that the mid-air collision occurred without any observed evasive action from either aircraft involved in the incident.