What happened
During an attempt to land at an airport located within a narrow mountain valley, an aircraft struck a ridge at an elevation of approximately 6,250 feet MSL. The airport, which lacks an instrument approach procedure, has a field elevation of 5,315 feet MSL. At the time of the accident, the surrounding landscape and terrain were covered in snow.
The crew had previously canceled their IFR clearance and were attempting to complete the landing under VFR conditions. However, broken clouds obscured much of the nearby terrain. While a minimum visibility of one mile was required for the approach, the aircraft descended below the cloud layer near the airfield while portions of the landscape remained hidden by low ceilings. Witness accounts suggest the pilot proceeded with the approach despite being improperly positioned for a safe landing and remaining beneath the cloud base.
The impact occurred roughly 2.5 miles from the destination airport. The accident resulted in two fatalities.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to the flight environment and decision-making. Key findings include:
- Improper in-flight planning and decision-making by the pilot in command.
- Failure to adhere to established VFR procedures.
- Encountering hazardous weather conditions, specifically low ceilings and cloud cover.
- Navigating through high, mountainous terrain under obscured visibility.
- The presence of snow-covered terrain at the time of the event.