What happened
On the morning of September 15, 2015, a turbine-powered de Havilland DHC-3T (Otter) crashed during the initial climb phase of its flight. The aircraft, registration N928RK, departed from East Wind Lake, located approximately one mile east of the Iliamna Airport in Alaska. The flight was being operated by Rainbow King Lodge, Inc. under visual flight rules for work purposes, intended to transport passengers to a fishing location on the Swishak River.
Shortly after takeoff, the plane struck terrain covered in tundra. The impact occurred during the early morning hours under dark night conditions with visual meteorological conditions present. No flight plan had been submitted for this mission. The aircraft suffered significant structural damage during the collision.
There were 10 individuals on board the aircraft at the time of the accident. The crash resulted in three fatalities among the passengers. Additionally, the pilot and four passengers suffered serious injuries, while two other passengers sustained minor injuries.