NTSB Investigator Said Plane Could Possibly Fly Again

The plane that was ditched by a 28-year-old pilot with three other people on board Sunday in Marion Lake in Oregon could fly again, according to NTSB investigator Larry Lewis.

But first they have to get it out of the water and determine why the engine stopped on the sightseeing flight.

All four people managed to get clear of the airplane before it sank in relatively shallow water after what was described as a near-perfect ditching. The occupants of the plane were assisted by a Boy Scout troop just wrapping up a camping trip at the lake, which is in the Mt. Jefferson Wildness Area of the Willamette National Forest.

But that location will also complicate the salvage. Motorized vehicles are not allowed into the wilderness area.

The Albany (OR) Democrat Herald reports that Lewis, who has not yet been to the accident scene, said that typically the plane would be floated with air bags and then towed to shore so that the water can drain out. It would then be picked up by a helicopter and transported to a nearby airport. If no airport is available within 10-15 miles, it would be put in a clearing near a road so that it can be transported by truck.

Lewis, who works out of his home near Spokane, WA, said he will travel to the site once the plane is out of the water and dried out.

(U.S. Forest Service map)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov