What happened
The aircraft was operating a flight to transport two skiers to a glacier area. The objective was for the passengers to ski downhill to a specific location where they could be picked up by the aircraft. The pilot landed the wheel and ski equipped aircraft on upsloping terrain. Although visibility was generally good, a whiteout phenomenon was prevalent in the selected landing area.
During touchdown, the aircraft struck an unseen snow drift which bent the right main gear. The Whiteout Glacier was named for its unique propensity to induce whiteout illusions. Because no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was installed in the aircraft, the two passengers skied down the glacier and summoned help. However, wind conditions began blowing and delayed the rescue efforts.
Two days later, an Air Force H-3 helicopter crashed downhill from N8035D while attempting a recovery operation. Later, another helicopter was used to recover the occupants of both downed aircraft.