Narrative
The pilot was conducting a flight from Sitka to Rowan Bay, Alaska. During the flight, the pilot flew up a valley intending to cross a pass with an elevation of 2,745 feet mean sea level. Upon approaching the pass, the pilot encountered clouds that prevented transit. The pilot then executed a 180-degree right course reversal. Near the completion of this maneuver, while in close proximity to the steep terrain along the western edge of the pass, the pilot allowed the aircraft to enter a stall condition. The aircraft subsequently impacted 40-degree sloped terrain in a steep nose-down, near wings-level attitude with a steep flight path. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed.
Investigation
The official investigation determined that the accident involved two occurrences. The first occurrence was a loss of control in flight during maneuvering—specifically a turn to reverse direction. Findings indicated that the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and delayed in-flight planning and decision contributed to the situation, with clouds as a weather condition and an inadvertent stall. Mountainous/hilly terrain was also a factor. The second occurrence was an in-flight collision with terrain during an uncontrolled descent.