What happened
Following a fish regulation conference held in Sitka, the occupants of a seaplane were traveling back toward Juneau. During the flight, the crew decided to conduct a visual inspection of salmon run levels by performing a low-altitude pass over the eastern portion of Admiralty Island at King Salmon Bay.
While flying at an altitude of approximately 100 feet, the aircraft type (unspecified) initiated a left turn and struck the ground. The impact resulted in the separation of the left engine and the left wing, causing the plane to crash into the waters of King Salmon Bay. The force of the accident caused debris to be distributed across more than 200 yards of the creek area.
Search and rescue efforts were coordinated by the USFWS, which deployed three aircraft and a vessel named 'Grizzly Bear'. Rescuers reached the wreckage on the morning of September 3. Among the occupants, one passenger sustained serious injuries but managed to reach the shoreline; this individual was discovered by another pilot approximately 24 hours after the event and subsequently transported to a hospital in Juneau.
Findings
Investigation at the crash site confirmed that the aircraft was completely destroyed. The accident resulted in 5 fatalities among the occupants. The primary factor leading to the impact was the low-altitude maneuvering during the stream survey.