Keep us posted with more details
I spent yesterday helping flush the airframe with fresh water. The salvage team a friend, his father-in-law and one of the tower controllers set out to locate the plane and tie a rope on it and drag it as close to shore as possible. It took several hours to locate the plane as it was fully submerged. Jeremy brought his dive gear and dove down to get a rope on the plane , they secured the rope to a tree. They returned the following day and rigged the plane to be lifted and transported back to the airport. Costal Helicopters airlifted the plane to the airport yesterday.
The plane looks remarkably intact. The windshield blew in/broke-up from the force of the water, left wing leading edge, engine cowl and door damaged.
As far as the cause of the accident/ditching it was an engine failure of some sort. They had spent 20 minutes or so doing touch and goes and decided to leave the pattern. About 10 minutes later the engine shutdown and could not be restarted. Both are experienced pilots and one flew wile the other tried to get the engine started. The plane did not flip but came very close to it. They were sitting on the wings about 15 seconds after the impact and swam to shore, about 30 to 50 yards
An Alaska Seaplane 208 on floats saw the ditching and landed to give assistance. There were 2 pilots at the controls of the AK Seaplane flight and one was an EMT. He got out to assist. Everyone was in good shape just banged up. The Cost Guard picked them up and transferred them to an AK Troopers boat that brought them back to town.
The FAA is investigating the accident or at least made a report. At this point they are trying to figure out why the engine shutdown and could not be restarted.
All and all a great outcome. Plane will never fly again, but my friends are safe at home with their family's.
