Grumman G-44 accident near Aleknagik, AK
On October 8, 2012, a Grumman G-44 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Aleknagik, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 8, 2012
- Place
- Aleknagik, AK
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-44 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 59.972°N, 158.350°W
- NTSB ID
- 20121007X33859
Official records · ANC13FA001
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 7, 2012, about 1645 Alaska daylight time, an amphibious Grumman G-44 airplane, N139F, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the surface of Tikchik Lake, about 50 miles north-northeast of Aleknagik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Freshwater Adventures, Dillingham, Alaska, as a visual flight rules, VFR positioning flight, under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Dillingham, about 1600. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 10, a local hunting guide who witnessed the accident, along with his client, were waiting for the accident airplane’s arrival for a return trip to Dillingham. He said that when the airplane arrived overhead, it made several passes over the lake and island where they were located. After the third pass overhead, the airplane came into view in front of their location very low over the water. He said the airplane rolled into a left turn, and the left wing float struck the water. The airplane then veered sharply to the left, bounced, and cartwheeled three times. After the accident, the airplane came to rest, partially submerged, with its high-mounted wings level with the surface of the lake. The witnesses were unable to reach the airplane in the icy water, and the airplane
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to make multiple low passes over the glassy surface water, which resulted in an impact with the surface of the lake.
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Browse: Alaska · Grumman aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
