Flight Details
A noninstrument-rated private pilot and two passengers were conducting a cross-country flight. The airplane was operating on top of an overcast layer at an altitude of 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot intended to reach Anchorage, Alaska.
Communications with Air Traffic Control
During the flight, the pilot radioed FAA air traffic controllers for assistance. The pilot stated that he believed he was a few miles from Anchorage, but controllers informed him he was actually approximately 124 nautical miles northwest of the intended destination. Controllers asked if the pilot could turn toward and cross a nearby mountain range to reach visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. The pilot responded that he did not have sufficient fuel remaining for such a maneuver and that he was currently flying through the tops of the overcast.
In subsequent communications, the pilot noted a marked disparity between his wet compass and his gyro-driven heading indicator. He also reported that the only electronic navigation instrument on board—a loran receiver—was not reliable.
Accident Sequence
Radio contact with the airplane was lost shortly after the pilot’s last transmission. Soon thereafter, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was heard. The airplane was subsequently discovered crashed in a near-vertical position on a glacier.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident inspection of the wreckage disclosed no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The loran unit was found to be functional. Approximately five to six gallons of fuel remained in the left wing fuel tank.