What happened
During a flight proceeding from Juneau toward Anchorage, an aircraft encountered difficult weather conditions while cruising. The pilot transmitted reports indicating difficulties with the engines before all radio contact with the aircraft was lost. Following this loss of communication, the plane entered a spin and impacted the ocean surface near Yakutat. Subsequent search efforts recovered two deceased individuals and minimal debris, but the aircraft itself sank and remains lost.
Findings
Investigation into the crash revealed several environmental and mechanical factors present during the flight:
- The aircraft was operating in weather conditions that were more severe than originally predicted, specifically involving a ceiling of 1,200 feet.
- Atmospheric conditions included icing, sleet, and freezing rain.
- There was a documented loss of power on one engine, which eventually progressed to a total failure of that engine.
- The pilot had reported attempts to secure the second engine during the emergency.
- While the exact reason for the powerplant failure remains unconfirmed due to a lack of physical evidence, the engine failure occurred amidst these challenging icing conditions.