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King Salmon, AK
THE AIR TAXI PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRANSPORT A HUNTING PARTY FROM A SMALL LAKE WHICH HE HAD NOT LANDED ON BEFORE. HE REPORTED THAT IT WAS HIS LAST FLIGHT OF A VERY BUSY FLYING DAY, AND THAT THE HUNTERS WERE ALREADY A DAY LATE IN BEING PICKED UP DUE TO THE WEATHER. HE SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS LANDING AND LOADING HIS PASSENGERS, THE WIND SHIFTED. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE WIND SHIFT. THE WIND WAS BLOWING OVER A SMALL HILL BESIDE THE LAKE THAT CREATED A DOWNDRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, THE TAKEOFF WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE WINDSHIFT AND DOWNDRAFT, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE FAR SHORE.
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN, UNFAVORABLE WIND, DOWNDRAFT, THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, AND HIS SELF INDUCED PRESSURE.
THE AIR TAXI PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRANSPORT A HUNTING PARTY FROM A SMALL LAKE WHICH HE HAD NOT LANDED ON BEFORE. HE REPORTED THAT IT WAS HIS LAST FLIGHT OF A VERY BUSY FLYING DAY, AND THAT THE HUNTERS WERE ALREADY A DAY LATE IN BEING PICKED UP DUE TO THE WEATHER. HE SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS LANDING AND LOADING HIS PASSENGERS, THE WIND SHIFTED. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE WIND SHIFT. THE WIND WAS BLOWING OVER A SMALL HILL BESIDE THE LAKE THAT CREATED A DOWNDRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, THE TAKEOFF WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE WINDSHIFT AND DOWNDRAFT, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE FAR SHORE.