| Crash location | 58.416667°N, 154.783333°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Iliamna, AK
59.752750°N, 154.822135°W 92.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N5110U |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 10 Aug 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 206 |
| Additional details: | None |
The airline transport pilot reported that he was operating his float-equipped airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 91 as part of his guiding business. He said he was departing a remote lake with four passengers after a bear viewing trip, and that he encountered a downdraft during the initial climb. In his report to the NTSB, he wrote: “there was not sufficient lake left to stop and I was unable to climb over the rising terrain.” The airplane struck terrain near the shoreline and came to rest upright. One passenger was seriously injured, and the airplane received substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
The pilot's decision to takeoff towards an area of rising terrain and potential downdrafts with a fully loaded airplane, which resulted in an encounter with a downdraft that exceeded the airplane's climb capability.