Accident
As the aircraft approached Friday Harbor, visibility dropped to half a mile due to fog and low ceiling. Unable to locate the runway, the pilot began a go-around. During the climb, control was lost and the airplane crashed, erupting in flames. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all seven people on board were killed.
Investigation
The official investigation examined the circumstances leading to the accident. Weather conditions were characterized by fog, low ceiling, and visibility of half a mile, which were below minimums for the approach. The aircraft was found to be loaded near its maximum gross weight, with its center of gravity near the aft limit.
Probable Cause
The probable cause was determined to be a stall during the go-around procedure, attributed to inadequate supervision of the flight crew. Contributing factors included: continued VFR flight into adverse weather, spatial disorientation, failure to maintain flying speed, premature flap retraction, low ceiling, fog, limited visibility to half a mile, weather conditions below minimums, and the aircraft being loaded near maximum gross weight with its center of gravity near the aft limit.