Background
An air taxi pilot departed St. Mary's Airport with one passenger aboard. The flight proceeded along the south bank of the Yukon River at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above ground level.
Sequence of Events
While en route, the pilot received a report of opposite-direction traffic inbound to St. Mary's, also flying along the south bank. To avoid the traffic, the pilot elected to transition to the north bank of the river.
Shortly after crossing to the north bank, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions. Forward visibility rapidly diminished, and the aircraft entered whiteout conditions. While attempting to maintain visual contact with the shoreline and trees, the pilot inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend. The airplane struck snow-covered terrain.
Additional Information
The pilot reported that the encounter with whiteout conditions occurred during the attempted avoidance of the other aircraft. No further details regarding the extent of damage or the condition of the occupants were provided in the source.