Fatal Commuter Flight Near Ketchikan, Alaska (N68HA)

Incident Overview and Weather Conditions Approximately three-quarters of an hour after departing for Wrangell, Alaska, the pilot of a regularly scheduled commuter flight contacted company dispatch about 30 miles from Ketchikan. The pilot reported that the aircraft was returning due to weather. Shortly after, the pilot communicated with another company pilot flying in the same vicinity, and both described the weather at their respective locations as marginal. At the time of the accident, weather conditions at Ketchikan International Airport, located 18 nautical miles from the crash site, were characterized by low ceilings, multiple cloud layers, reduced visibilities of 3 miles, and light rain. ## Collision and Impact Details The aircraft collided with trees and rising terrain at 800 feet mean sea level while in a near-level flight path headed east-southeast. Impact signatures on the right wingtip indicated a very shallow right-wing-down and nose-up attitude at the initial tree impacts. All four occupants of the aircraft were killed.