What happened
Shortly after departing from Omalik, a single engine airplane was operating at a low altitude under adverse meteorological conditions. During the flight, the aircraft struck various obstacles and crashed. The pilot, who was the only person on board the aircraft at the time of the accident, sustained fatal injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was the result of controlled flight into terrain while the aircraft was in a normal cruise phase. This occurred after the pilot elected to continue flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite encountering deteriorating weather. Several environmental factors contributed to the event, including:
- Reduced visibility of one-half mile or less
- Low cloud ceilings
- Active precipitation in the form of rain
- Cloud cover that obscured the Windy Creek drainage area