Incident Overview
A certificated commercial pilot was operating the lead aircraft in a flight of two airplanes over snow-covered terrain. According to the pilot, as the flight progressed, weather conditions worsened as they entered an area of mountainous terrain. The pilot reported that both airplanes continued along the intended route with an overcast ceiling of about 300 feet and visibility of approximately 3 miles.
Flight Details
The accident pilot stated that while flying over a large, featureless snow-covered lake, he maintained visual reference to the ground by using terrain features along the lake shoreline on the right side of the airplane. As weather conditions deteriorated further, he radioed the second airplane that he intended to turn around. He then initiated a left turn.
Loss of Visual Reference
During the turn, the pilot reported that he lost all visual reference to the frozen, snow-covered lake. He stated that he was able to level the wings just before colliding with the surface of the snow-covered lake.
Aftermath
The pilot's account does not specify injuries, damage, or aircraft details. No other information from the investigation was provided in the source.