Nigh unbelievable, except we've lived in Alaska long enough to know it happens all the time.

New report states plane was loaded with masonry mortar in deadly Willow Lake crash

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Over a week following the deadly plane crash on Willow Lake, which claimed the life of 24-year-old pilot Colt Richter, officials have issued a preliminary report detailing what they believe happened on that day.

Fire from Willow plane crash as seen from the air (Courtesy Doug Glenn)

Richter, 24, of Anchorage, was flying for operator Regal Air with two passengers on board. The passengers survived the crash, Richter was declared dead at the scene near where the plane took off from Willow Lake. The filed flight itinerary showed the plane was headed to FBI Lake in the Skwentna area.

According to the report, issued by the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday and approved for release Tuesday, the plane, a float-equipped De Havilland DHC-2 or Beaver, crashed into trees after a loss of control during takeoff climb.

Previously, witnesses said the plane was trying to climb higher after taking off from the lake. According to the NTSB report, the plane was loaded down with cargo in addition to the two passengers on board, a woman and her 2 year old son, who both sustained serious injuries.

"Witnesses reported that after arriving at the Willow Seaplane Base, the pilot loaded the passenger's cargo, which according to a statement provided by the passenger, consisted of multiple bags of masonry mortar, three totes full of food and stores, two propane tanks, and miscellaneous baggage and supplies," the report states.

The NTSB stated multiple witnesses at Willow Lake saw the plane fail two takeoff attempts and "appeared heavy" while doing so, dipping off the water. Finally, in the third attempt, the plane took off, and was recorded on cell phone footage by three separate witnesses. They reported it was "perceived as an unusual operation" at that time.

"Each witness stated that the airplane departed to the south and descended out of sight below the tree line. Soon thereafter, a loud airplane impact was heard," the NTSB statement reads.

The next thing that happened after the impact, according to investigators, was a witnesses report, spotting the passenger walking from the crash site with her 2-year-old in her arms, the airplane "engulfed in flames."