What happened
During an approach into Friday Harbor, the flight encountered significantly degraded meteorological conditions. Thick fog and a low cloud ceiling reduced visibility to approximately half a mile. While the pilot was unable to identify the runway under these conditions, an attempt was made to execute a go-around procedure. During this maneuver, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, resulting in a crash that ignited a fire. The impact caused the total destruction of the airplane, and all seven fatalities were recorded among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical factors that led to the loss of control. The primary cause was an aerodynamic stall occurring during the go-around process, which was exacerbated by a lack of adequate supervision within the flight crew. Several contributing elements were noted:
- The crew continued flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite weather conditions falling below safe minimums.
- The pilot experienced spatial disorientation due to the fog and low ceiling.
- There was a failure to maintain the necessary airspeed during the maneuver.
- Flaps were retracted prematurely.
- The aircraft was operating at a weight near its maximum gross limit with the center of gravity positioned near the aft limit.