Background
The pilot contacted the Flight Service Station (FSS) 11 times on the day of the accident to obtain weather briefings. The conditions were below VFR minimums, which were required for the passenger-carrying commercial flight in a single-engine airplane. Later, the conditions improved and the pilot departed under a special VFR clearance.
Flight Sequence
The pilot performed two approaches at the destination airport in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). These approaches were consistent with the two GPS approaches available there. Weather data and witnesses indicated daylight conditions, low clouds, and poor visibility, with cloud tops at 1,000 feet. After the second approach, the pilot radioed that he was heading back to the departure airport because he could not see the airport. No distress calls or unusual engine noises were heard. The airplane subsequently flew north of the airport and away from the departure airport at an altitude beneath the minimum radar coverage of 2,200 feet.
Impact and Examination
The airplane impacted the frozen Arctic Ocean in a right bank and at a 60-degree nose-down attitude about three miles away from the location of the pilot's last radio transmission. An examination of the airplane, conducted before it sank through cracking ice, revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The propeller examination indicated it was under a power setting consistent with maneuvering airspeed at the time of impact. The autopilot annunciator filament examination revealed that the autopilot was not engaged at impact.
Weight and Ice
The airplane was nearly full of fuel and over its published maximum gross weight at impact. Small pieces of clear ice, about 1/4-inch thick, were found on portions of the tail surfaces.
Pilot Considerations
Interviews with operator employees and the pilot's wife revealed that the pilot may have felt pressure from himself and passengers to complete the flight.