What happened
A VFR cross-country air taxi flight departed for a remote village with six passengers on board. The pilot had previously flown a route through a mountainous area using a mountain pass to maintain approximately 200 feet of clearance due to low clouds; however, the pilot determined that specific route was unsuitable for this flight involving passengers.
During the accident flight, the pilot chose a path east of the previously used mountain pass. This route required transiting an area characterized by low hills. As the aircraft approached the destination, snow-covered terrain began rising toward low clouds over the mountains. The pilot identified what appeared to be the approach end of the destination airport and initiated a descent.
This apparent runway was actually a creek bottom. Upon realizing the error, the pilot began a turn but observed rising terrain. The pilot stopped the turn and applied full power, but the aircraft collided with the rising terrain in whiteout conditions at approximately 900 feet MSL.
A passenger reported that roughly 10 minutes after departure, the aircraft entered fog at an altitude of 3,000 feet MSL. The passenger noted that the view of the ground disappeared and the surroundings became completely white. Approximately five minutes after entering this fog, the aircraft struck the snow-covered terrain.