| Crash location | 57.660556°N, 153.318889°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 | Kodiak, AK
57.790000°N, 152.407222°W 34.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N91AK |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 09 Sep 2016 |
| Aircraft type | Dehavilland DHC-2 |
| Additional details: | None |
On September 9, 2016, about 1130 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped, de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, N91AK, sustained substantial damage during a collision with water, following a loss of control shortly after takeoff from Uganik Lake, about 35 miles west-southwest of Kodiak, Alaska. The airplane was registered to Redemption, Inc., Kodiak, and operated as Flight 43 by Island Air, Kodiak, as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled commuter flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. Of the three occupants on board, the commercial pilot and two passengers all sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. Flight 43 originated in Kodiak about 1100, with a preplanned, intermediate stop at Uganik Lake, before continuing to the flights scheduled stops in Amook Bay and Zachar Bay, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 9, the operator's director of maintenance stated that the purpose for the intermediate stop at Uganik Lake was to drop off a maintenance technician. He added that a company owned Cessna 185 had landed at Uganik Lake earlier in the day and damaged a float, and the maintenance technician was called in to inspect the float prior to the airplane returning to Kodiak. He said that after landing, the accident pilot met the crew of the Cessna 185 on the western shore of Uganik Lake, where he dropped off the maintenance technician, and then he then departed for Amook Bay.
Witnesses reported seeing the accident airplane back-taxi to the east before it eventually turned around to start the takeoff run to the west, and towards an area of rising, tree-covered terrain. The witnesses consistently reported that after the airplane became airborne, it began a gradual left turn to avoid the rising terrain ahead. As the airplane flew closer to the rising terrain, the left turn steepened, and the airplane began a steep nose down descent. The airplane subsequently struck the shallow waters on the western end of Uganik Lake, and it came to rest partially submerged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
The witnesses reported gusty wind conditions, from the west, estimated to be between 15 to 25 knots.