On August 11, 1977, a Beechcraft H18 (registration C-GWUY) operated by Galaxy Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Wrangell, United States of America in flight. 6 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions. Contributing factors: improper in-flight decisions, low ceiling, fog. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
During a flight from Ketchikan to Wrangell, a twin-engine airplane struck a mountain at 3,000 feet in poor weather. All six occupants died in the crash.
Accident Details
On a pleasure flight from Ketchikan to Wrangell, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions. While flying at 3,000 feet, the twin-engine airplane collided with a mountain and was destroyed. The wreckage was discovered several hours after the accident.
Occupants
The aircraft carried six occupants. All six were killed in the crash.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain after the pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions.
Contributing Factors
Investigators identified the following contributing factors:
Improper in-flight decisions by the pilot
Low ceiling
Fog
The combination of these factors led to the aircraft's controlled flight into terrain.