What happened
A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver departed from the Lake Union seaplane base carrying a pilot and four passengers from the British Broadcasting Company. The purpose of the flight was to capture aerial footage of a geological fault line stretching from Seattle toward Blakely Harbor.
During the mission, the aircraft performed an initial pass over the southern portion of Bainbridge Island without incident. While preparing for a subsequent pass, the pilot attempted to navigate toward the upsloping, heavily forested terrain. To manage the approach, the pilot utilized climb flaps and increased engine power; however, the aircraft failed to achieve the necessary climb rate. In an attempt to find lower-altitude terrain, the pilot initiated a shallow left turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft lost altitude and struck the treetops. There were no reported fatalities in the accident.
Findings
Evidence from onboard video recordings supports the sequence of events described by the pilot. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical failures regarding the engine or the flight control systems prior to the impact. The pilot noted the presence of a downdraft while flying over the wooded area. Meteorological data from nearby stations indicated relatively calm conditions, with winds staying below 12 knots, and visual evidence from the flight footage showed minimal wind activity over the Puget Sound during the transit.