What happened
During an approach to Cordova Airport, a twin engine airplane collided with a mountain slope located a short distance from the airfield. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was in its descent phase and encountered adverse weather conditions characterized by heavy cloud cover. The impact occurred on a mountainside that was obscured by clouds, leading to the total destruction of the airframe.
There were four fatalities recorded in the crash, as all occupants on board the aircraft perished in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several critical factors related to the flight's execution. The primary reason for the collision was that the pilot entered mountainous terrain during the approach after neglecting to adhere to established flight procedures.
Additional contributing elements included:
- Inadequate adherence to IFR operational standards
- Low cloud ceilings at the time of descent
- Presence of high obstacles in the flight path
- Failure to perform the prescribed instrument approach procedure