Flight Details
A pilot, accompanied by a passenger, departed an airport under a special VFR (SVFR) clearance for a scheduled commuter flight to a remote airport. The flight proceeded under SVFR conditions.
Encounter with Whiteout
Approximately 14 miles north of the departure airport, while at an altitude of 1,000 feet mean sea level (msl), the pilot encountered whiteout conditions. In response, the pilot reversed course and descended to about 500 feet msl. The pilot then requested a SVFR arrival back to the departure airport and began maneuvering to intercept the inbound course.
Collision
While operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), the airplane descended and collided with flat, snow-covered terrain approximately 5 miles north of the airport. The pilot was unable to distinguish any terrain features until the moment of impact.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident's probable cause was the pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC conditions and failure to maintain altitude. A contributing factor was the 'whiteout' weather conditions.