What happened
On a flight departing from Nome, Alaska, at 13:30 BST, a Munz Northern aircraft traveling north encountered extreme visibility challenges. During the flight, the crew experienced whiteout conditions that significantly obscured the landscape. A survivor on board noted that the altitude felt dangerously low and observed a change in the engine's propeller sound, which had previously occurred during a climb to clear a mountain peak.
The aircraft ultimately collided with high terrain during its flight. The accident resulted in two fatalities, including the pilot, while one passenger survived the impact. Prior to the crash, the pilot had requested weather information specifically for Ambler at 00:30 GMT, but did not obtain a full weather forecast for the intended route.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the flight conditions and pilot decisions. The primary cause was the inadvertent transition from visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
Key findings include:
- The pilot failed to obtain a complete weather forecast prior to the flight.
- The aircraft encountered heavy snow and whiteout conditions.
- The collision occurred due to the presence of high terrain during the climb phase.
- The crew continued flight under VFR despite encountering IMC.