Accident Overview
A float-equipped airplane carrying a pilot and two passengers departed on an on-demand charter flight to a remote area. Approximately 55 minutes after departure, an emergency locator transmitter signal was heard near the intended destination. The flight was reported overdue, and search personnel located the wreckage about two and a half hours after departure. The wreckage was found at an elevation of approximately 2,850 feet in mountainous terrain, where the airplane had collided with terrain below the top of a steep ridge.
Weather Conditions
Search personnel reported that weather conditions in the area included low ceilings. The conditions deteriorated during subsequent rescue operations. Additionally, the area forecast included an AIRMET for marginal VFR conditions with mountain obscuration due to clouds and precipitation.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions and his failure to maintain adequate altitude and clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident included the high and mountainous terrain and the weather conditions that included low ceilings.