What happened
During a scheduled series of cargo flights in southeast Alaska, an air taxi operator was conducting a leg of a round-robin route. The flight was traveling from Hoonah toward Elfin Cove, with the intention of eventually returning to the base in Juneau. The planned route involved flying through a mountain pass that provided an estimated clearance of 500 feet above sea level.
While in flight, the aircraft struck rising terrain at an elevation of 1,250 feet, approximately one mile south of the intended flight path. Following the impact, a fire broke out and partially destroyed the wreckage.
Search efforts were launched by the operator via helicopter within two hours of the incident. The search crew noted that the crash site was difficult to locate because the area was shrouded in low clouds. These heavy cloud layers covered much of the surrounding valleys and mountainsides and remained present over the wreckage site for two days following the accident.
Findings
- The flight deviated from the intended path, striking terrain roughly one mile south of the planned route.
- Low visibility due to persistent low clouds and cloud cover in the surrounding valleys hindered the initial search operations.