What happened
During a return leg of a local tourist charter operation in the Ketchikan area, an aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. As the flight progressed through heavy fog, the pilot experienced a loss of orientation. This disorientation led to the pilot losing control of the floatplane, which subsequently impacted the ground and ignited upon impact.
All six occupants on board sustained serious injuries during the accident. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into adverse weather conditions. This action led to an uncontrolled descent and a subsequent collision with the terrain. Several contributing elements were identified during the analysis:
- Severe spatial disorientation of the pilot
- Extremely low visibility caused by fog
- Near-zero visibility levels at the time of the crash