What happened
During the second passenger sightseeing excursion of the day, an aircraft was navigating through the remote, mountainous, and heavily forested terrain of the Misty Fjords National Monument. The flight was on its return leg, traveling along the right side of a valley, when it struck a mountain at 1,750 ft mean sea level, approximately 250 ft below the peak. The wreckage distribution suggested the aircraft hit a tree in a left-wing-low attitude, potentially while the pilot was attempting to maneuver away from the terrain. Investigation of the wreckage showed no signs of mechanical failure prior to the crash, and the propeller was rotating and under power at the moment of impact.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing a conditionally unstable atmosphere, which caused rain showers to move northeastward across the site. Local weather observations and satellite imagery confirmed that visibility and cloud ceilings were dropping, leading to instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). While the pilot had checked the weather before the morning's first flight, there was no evidence that updated weather information was obtained before the second departure. Evidence from passenger photographs indicates the pilot was aware of the increasing precipitation and lowering visibility but proceeded with the flight.
Several organizational and training deficiencies were identified. Although the operator had policies for handling IMC, the pilot had not completed required cue-based training designed to improve weather assessment and decision-making. Furthermore, the operator's safety management protocols were insufficient, as they failed to ensure necessary training, allowed the pilot to continue tours with minimal remedial training after a prior accident, and permitted the aircraft to operate without a valid FAA registration. Additionally, the flight did not adhere to the recommended routes or altitudes established by a local voluntary letter of agreement for air tour operators in the region.