What happened
A commercial pilot was operating a scheduled passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135 regulations, returning from a remote coastal village. Although the flight was originally intended to depart during daylight hours, poor weather conditions caused a delay in departure.
The flight took place during dark night conditions over remote and unpopulated terrain characterized by an absence of ground-based light sources for visual navigation. When the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, an aerial search was launched. The wreckage of the aircraft was located approximately 15 miles northeast of the departure airport along the intended flight route. The Cessna (type not specified in source) had collided with flat, featureless, snow-covered terrain, leaving a debris trail measuring approximately 575 feet.
The investigation
Investigators located all major components of the aircraft at the main wreckage site. No pre-accident anomalies were identified regarding the aircraft's mechanical condition. Responding rescue crews noted that the lack of ground-based light sources and visual cues necessitated the use of night vision goggles to identify topographical features at the accident site.
A review of the pilot's personal flight logbook indicated the pilot had accumulated approximately 322 hours of night flight time, though only 32.6 of those hours were performed while acting as pilot-in-command.