Incident Overview
A pilot and eight parachutists were returning from a skydiving meet when their twin-engine turboprop aircraft crashed into the Great Salt Lake. The pilot had obtained a weather briefing indicating instrument meteorological conditions at the destination and filed a VFR flight plan, but the plan was never activated.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported hearing but not seeing the aircraft pass over the airport and head north over the lake. They described weather conditions as a low ceiling, 1/4-mile visibility, light snow, haze, and fog, with near-darkness. The airplane impacted the water approximately half a mile offshore.
Aircraft Configuration
The aircraft was stripped of all avionics except for one transceiver and a handheld GPS receiver. Examination of the airframe, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
Pilot's Previous Behavior
A member of the skydive club who had flown with the pilot stated that on a previous occasion, the pilot had encountered poor weather and descended over the Great Salt Lake until he could see the ground, then proceeded to the airport. Another member related a similar experience, noting descent over the lake near the accident site. The pilot had also successfully navigated deteriorating weather to Tooele Airport using landmarks.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be the pilot's poor judgment and failure to maintain safe altitude/clearance above the water. Contributing factors included low ceiling and visibility obscured by snow and mist, an inadequately equipped airplane for instrument meteorological conditions, and the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, as he had reportedly conducted similar maneuvers on two previous occasions.