Accident
On the day of the accident, the airplane was attempting to land at Hooper Bay, Alaska. During the approach in visual meteorological conditions, the aircraft crashed 1,320 feet short of the threshold of runway 13. It came to rest on hard-packed snow and ice approximately 700 feet from the edge of the Bering Sea. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but no fire occurred.
Injuries
Both pilots and all six passengers suffered serious injuries in the accident.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the flightcrew's failure to compute and properly interpret the airplane's weight and balance and their operation of the airplane with the center of gravity substantially aft of its authorized limit, which resulted in loss of control of the airplane during a landing attempt.