Incident Details
According to company personnel, the flight was operated as a charter. The pilot, who also held the position of the company's Director of Operations, was not authorized to conduct FAR Part 135 flights under instrument flight conditions. He was reported to have stated that he intended to "get a special VFR clearance and see if he could make it underneath."
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying very low and then disappearing into clouds. No further details regarding the outcome of the flight were provided.
Regulatory Context
Special VFR clearances allow operations in controlled airspace under visual flight rules when weather conditions are below basic VFR minimums, but they do not authorize flight in instrument meteorological conditions without proper instrument rating and aircraft certification. The pilot's lack of authorization for IFR operations under Part 135 indicates a potential regulatory non-compliance.