Flight Preparation
On the day of the accident, the pilot contacted the Flight Service Station (FSS) 11 times to obtain weather briefings. The weather conditions were below VFR minimums required for the passenger-carrying commercial flight in a single-engine airplane. Later, conditions improved and the pilot departed under a special VFR clearance.
Flight Events
The pilot performed two approaches at the destination airport while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). These approaches were consistent with the two GPS approaches available at that airport. Weather data and witness reports indicated daylight conditions with low clouds and poor visibility; cloud tops were at 1,000 feet.
After the second approach, the pilot radioed that he was heading back to the departure airport because he could not see the airport. No distress calls or unusual engine noises were heard.
Accident Sequence
The airplane subsequently flew north of the airport, away from the departure airport, at an altitude beneath the minimum radar coverage of 2,200 feet. It impacted the frozen Arctic Ocean in a right bank and at a 60-degree nose-down attitude, approximately three miles from the location of the pilot's last radio transmission.
Examination Findings
An examination of the airplane, conducted before it sank through cracking ice, revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Examination of the propeller indicated it was under a power setting consistent with a maneuvering airspeed at the time of impact. The autopilot annunciator filament showed that the autopilot was not engaged at impact. The airplane was nearly full of fuel and over its published maximum gross weight at the time of impact. Small pieces of clear ice, about 1/4-inch thick, were found on portions of the tail surfaces.
Interviews with operator employees and the pilot's wife suggested that the pilot may have felt pressure from himself and passengers to complete the flight.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were the weather conditions.