What happened
On the morning of the accident, the pilot was notified of an unscheduled night cargo flight at approximately 02:30, having been awakened from sleep. Following a weather briefing and flight plan filing by the aircraft owner, the pilot arrived at the airfield at 04:30 to perform preflight inspections. The flight received clearance as filed, with a void time set for 05:00.
At 05:10, during the initial climb phase, the aircraft was seen ascending northbound to roughly 800 feet above ground level amidst moderate snowfall. Shortly after this period, the aircraft entered a steep, nose-down, right-wing-low attitude and crashed approximately one mile northeast of the airport. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed in the impact. No mechanical failures or part malfunctions were identified prior to the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted several contributing factors involving both the operator and the pilot. The flight occurred under challenging environmental conditions, including falling snow, forecasted mixed icing within clouds, and a SIGMET for moderate to severe turbulence below 8,000 feet.
Key findings included inadequate supervisory oversight by the company and pressure placed on the crew regarding the flight schedule. The pilot's performance was impacted by fatigue due to the short-notice nature of the mission, as well as a lack of sufficient experience with the specific aircraft type. Additionally, investigators noted issues related to spatial disorientation, failure to follow IFR procedures, and improper use of landing lights during the night operation.