Officials say pilot who rescued 2 girls from Alaska lake did not have permission for passengers.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A pilot, identified as John Morris Jr., was rescued with two young family members after surviving a night on the wing of an airplane on an Alaskan lake. Morris, a student pilot, was not authorized to fly with passengers, according to federal aviation records.

Morris, who has not been cooperating with investigators, is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. According to Mark Ward of the NTSB, Morris landed near a glacier on a partially frozen lake, which broke through the ice and began to sink. It is unclear if the landing was intentional or due to a mechanical issue.

Although student pilots flying passengers is a common violation of FAA rules, any insurance claim resulting from an accident would be denied. The incident occurred near Tustumena Lake on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, with one of the volunteer pilots spotting Morris and the children on the wing.

The Alaska National Guard rescued Morris and the children, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The plane’s fabric-covered wings acted as a flotation device, preventing it from fully sinking. Morris managed to get the girls out of the plane before rescuers arrived, but he was suffering from hypothermia due to wet conditions. The pilot’s cellphone also stopped working after getting wet.

Further investigation is needed to determine the cause of the landing, with potential consequences for Morris including license suspension, fines, and recovery costs for the aircraft. The story was reported from Los Angeles based on information from The Associated Press and LiveNOW from FOX.