What happened
A cargo and mail flight, operated under CFR Part 135 regulations, was en route to a remote coastal village when it failed to arrive at its destination. Following the missed arrival, an aerial search operation was launched. The wreckage was discovered the next day situated in mountainous terrain, approximately 21 miles from the airport of departure.
At the time of the flight, an AIRMET had been issued for the intended route, warning of mountain obscuration due to clouds and precipitation. A second pilot, who had departed roughly 20 minutes after the subject aircraft and followed a similar path, described the weather conditions along the accident aircraft's trajectory as having very low visibility, characterized by rain, fog, and multiple layers of cloud cover. This pilot noted that they had altered their own flight path specifically to bypass these deteriorating weather conditions.
Findings
Investigation into the flight path suggests that the standard route to the intended destination would have required flying directly over the mountain where the impact occurred. The aircraft collided with rising terrain during the flight.