What happened
About 45 minutes after departing for Wrangell, Alaska, the pilot of a scheduled commuter flight notified company dispatch of an intention to return to the origin point because of inclement weather. At a distance of roughly 30 miles from Ketchikan, the pilot also spoke with another company pilot operating in the same area, with both aviators describing the local conditions as marginal.
At the time of the accident, the weather at Ketchikan International Airport, located 18 nautical miles from the impact site, involved light rain, multiple cloud layers, low ceilings, and visibility reduced to 3 miles. During the flight, the aircraft type collided with trees and rising terrain at an altitude of 800 feet MSL. The aircraft was traveling in a nearly level flight path toward the east southeast at the moment of impact. Evidence from the right wingtip suggested the aircraft was in a very shallow right wing-down and nose-up attitude when it first struck the trees.
All four fatalities were recorded as a result of the crash.
Findings
- The flight was operating in marginal weather conditions characterized by low visibility and low ceilings.
- The impact occurred during the flight phase while the crew was attempting to navigate through deteriorating weather.