What happened
A solo commercial pilot was operating a CFR 135 on-and-demand cargo and U.S. mail flight toward a remote coastal village when the aircraft failed to reach its destination. Following the activation of an ELT signal received by a search and rescue satellite, wreckage was located approximately 80 miles from the departure airport along the intended flight path.
Weather conditions at the time were reported as challenging. One pilot flying the same route shortly before the accident described low visibility with light snow squalls and flat light conditions that made topographic features difficult to identify. Another pilot transiting the area in the opposite direction reported overcast skies with ceilings between 1,000 and 1,300 feet, noting that fog and light snow caused momentary visibility restrictions near the wreckage site. The terrain was described as featureless and snow-covered.
The investigation
The aircraft was equipped with an avionics package from the FAA's Capstone Program, which includes GPS, ADS-B weather and traffic information, and terrain information on a multifunction display (MFD). Due to damage to the MFD, investigators could not determine which visual display option was selected by the pilot at the time of the accident.
Data from the ADS-B equipment provided to the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) allowed for a review of the flight track. The recorded track showed the aircraft departing the airport on a heading of approximately 300 degrees and climbing to an altitude of about 1,800 feet msl. As the aircraft traveled northwest toward the accident site, a gradual descent was observed. The tracking data ended approximately 1.8 miles east of the wreckage site with a ground speed of roughly 108 knots.
Physical examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted the ground on a southeasterly heading, which was directly opposite to the intended flight course, in a slight nose-down attitude. There were no pre-impact anomalies found regarding the engine or the aircraft structure.