Floatplane in fatal Kenai Peninsula crash was set to visit different lake, NTSB says

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team members usage a remotely operated conveyance during activity to find and retrieve a level that collapsed June 18, 2024 connected Crescent Lake adjacent Moose Pass. (Courtesy ADSRRT Facebook page)

A floatplane that crashed and sank connected a Kenai Peninsula reservoir past month, sidesplitting a elder Air Force officer and a civilian instructor, had been group to believe touch-and-go landings connected different reservoir that day, according to national investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Wednesday connected nan June 18 clang connected Crescent Lake adjacent Moose Pass that killed Col. Mark “Tyson” Sletten, 46, and Alaska Float Ratings aviator Paul Kondrat, 41.

Sletten, a longtime combatant aviator who was head of operations for nan U.S. military’s Alaskan Command, was learning to alert a floatplane from Kondrat erstwhile nan Piper PA-18 Super Cub collapsed and sank. The level was recovered astir 200 feet underwater. The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team helped to retrieve it pinch some pilots’ bodies still inside.

According to nan report, Alaska Float Ratings told investigators nan training flight’s planned destination was Bench Lake, astir 10 miles northeast of Crescent Lake. The level departed Trail Lake astatine Moose Pass astatine astir 12:45 p.m. connected June 18, and was expected to return by 2:30 p.m.

Two hikers saw nan Super Cub making touch-and-go landings connected Crescent Lake conscionable earlier it collapsed astatine astir 2 p.m.

“They said that arsenic nan airplane continued a northeasterly attack for different touch-and-go, astatine an estimated 400 (feet) supra nan water, their attraction was drawn to nan airplane aft it sounded down successful a chemoreceptor debased attitude, and arsenic it began a flimsy counterclockwise rotation earlier impacting nan water,” investigators said successful nan report. “One witnesser recalled seeing nan airplane transportation up somewhat conscionable earlier impact.”

Clint Johnson, nan NTSB’s Alaska chief, said Wednesday that Sletten was sitting successful beforehand of Kondrat during nan crash, but some nan beforehand and rear seats of nan Super Cub were equipped pinch formation controls. Investigators are still trying to find wherever nan level traveled earlier nan crash.

“We don’t person immoderate accusation to propose if they went straight to Crescent Lake, aliases they went to Bench Lake and past came backmost to Crescent Lake,” Johnson said.

Johnson said nan NTSB will beryllium relying heavy connected nan hikers’ relationship of nan crash. In addition, underwater video of nan level from divers and remotely operated vehicles has offered investigators a look astatine nan Super Cub’s authorities instantly aft it crashed, earlier immoderate disturbance by betterment operations.

“We tin get a chance to look astatine each nan power surfaces and do a heavy dive into that accusation – truthful it’s going to beryllium crucial, particularly successful this accident,” Johnson said.

The level has been moved to a unafraid location, Johnson said. NTSB investigators, arsenic good arsenic representatives from airframe shaper Piper and motor shaper Lycoming, are readying to intimately inspect its wreckage later this month.