What happened
During a scheduled commuter flight intended for a remote destination, a pilot and one passenger departed an airport after obtaining special VFR (SVFR) clearance. While flying at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet mean sea level, the aircraft encountered severe whiteout conditions roughly 14 miles north of the departure airfield. In response to the reduced visibility, the pilot turned the aircraft around and descended to an altitude of about 500 feet mean sea level.
Following this maneuver, the pilot requested an SVFR arrival clearance to return to the original airport and began attempting to intercept the inbound course. However, while operating within instrument meteorological conditions, the aircraft continued to descend. The flight ended when the plane struck flat, snow-covered ground approximately 5 miles north of the airport. The pilot was unable to identify any visible terrain features prior to the impact.
Findings
- The flight was operating under special VFR clearance at the time of the accident.
- Whiteout conditions prevented the pilot from identifying terrain features.
- The aircraft was flying in instrument meteorological conditions during the descent phase.