What happened
During the early morning hours of the accident, an air taxi flight departed from a remote airstrip located near a hunting lodge. The pilot was scheduled to perform a flight from the company's primary base of operations, but instead departed from the lodge's airstrip at approximately 06:08 carrying revenue cargo. Shortly after the departure, a witness at the lodge reported hearing the sound of an aircraft followed by a heavy impact.
At the time of the incident, the area was experiencing darkness, as official civil twilight did not begin until 07:30 and sunrise was not until 08:13. A witness, who was a hunting guide, attempted to fly to the site in his own aircraft but was forced to return to the lodge after encountering cloud cover. The wreckage of the aircraft was discovered on a nearby mountain once daylight became available and the clouds had cleared.
Findings
An inspection of the aircraft following the crash revealed no signs of mechanical issues or anomalies occurring prior to the impact. Observations from the scene suggested that the pilot may have been attempting to return to the lodge airstrip due to the combination of poor visibility and darkness.