What happened
During a personal flying trip to Alaska, an airline transport pilot and two passengers were operating a rented aircraft under VFR flight rules. Prior to departure, the pilot consulted with an FAA automated flight service station specialist regarding the day's weather. The specialist expressed concerns about the conditions, and the area forecast indicated marginal VFR and IFR conditions, including an AIRMET for mountain obscuration. Weather reports noted scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, light rain, and visibility dropping below 3 statute miles in mist and showers. A report from another pilot near the accident site roughly two hours earlier also noted fog and mist that prevented VFR flight.
Despite these warnings, the pilot sought information on an automated weather station south of the departure point where conditions were expected to be better. Local fishing captains in the vicinity of the islands confirmed the presence of fog, with one captain reporting hearing an aircraft but being unable to see it due to the low visibility. The pilot did not submit a flight plan or provide an intended itinerary for the flight. The aircraft was not reported overdue until two days after the scheduled departure. Search efforts located the wreckage four days after the initial disappearance, situated on the north cliff face of a remote island at approximately 800 feet mean sea level. The aircraft type was a rental airplane, and the impact was a high-speed collision with the island, which caused a post-crash fire that destroyed the cockpit and cabin. There were 3 fatalities in the accident.
Findings
- The pilot operated without a filed flight plan or a known itinerary.
- Local weather conditions included heavy fog and mist that obscured visibility.
- The aircraft struck a cliff face at high speed during the cruise or approach phase.