Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a night flight from Whitehorse, Canada, to Prince Rupert, Canada, with planned stops in Skagway and Juneau, Alaska. According to the pilot, while passing the Five Fingers NDB to enter the strait, he encountered southeast winds of approximately 25 knots. Attempting to return to Juneau, he became unsure of his position due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Search and Communication
The pilot spent several hours trying to determine his position and eventually sighted the lights of a ship. Flying at low altitude, he reportedly attempted for 45 minutes to communicate his problem by radio. Communication was eventually relayed by another aircraft that was overflying the area.
Ditching and Rescue
As fuel was exhausted, the aircraft was ditched next to the ship that the pilot had located. The pilot was rescued by personnel on the ship, but the aircraft sank.
Pilot Experience
The student pilot had only 7 hours of night flying experience and no reported instrument time.
Weather Conditions
The weather at the time of the accident was estimated to be 2000 feet overcast, with 1/2 mile visibility in rain and fog.