Incident Overview
During a flight from Anchorage to Galena, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions characterized by a low ceiling. Becoming lost and disoriented, the pilot inadvertently flew into a blind canyon and observed high obstructions ahead. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the pilot initiated an evasive maneuver, executing a steep left turn. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground and was consumed by fire in mountainous terrain approximately 125 miles northwest of Anchorage.
Search and Recovery
When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, search and rescue operations were launched. After several days without locating any trace of the aircraft or the pilot, the search was abandoned. On September 2, 1980, the burnt wreckage was discovered near Rainy Pass.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain after the pilot became lost and disoriented. Contributing factors included the pilot's continuation of visual flight rules (VFR) flight into adverse weather conditions, misjudgment of distance, speed, altitude or clearance, low ceiling, high obstructions, flying into a blind canyon, executing an evasive maneuver to avoid collision, and performing an in-flight steep left turn.