What happened
During a scheduled survey mission, the aircraft was maintaining a cruising altitude of 10,000 feet when it experienced the failure of one engine. In response to the mechanical issue, the crew successfully feathered the propeller of the malfunctioning engine. To improve the performance capabilities of the single operational engine, the pilot-in-command initiated a descent to a lower altitude.
As the aircraft descended, the flight crew encountered low cloud cover which significantly restricted visibility. During this period of obscured vision, the plane collided with trees within a heavily forested region. The impact resulted in an aerodynamic stall and the subsequent destruction of the aircraft. While the two passengers on board were successfully rescued from the wreckage, the three crew members perished in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the primary sequence of events began with an engine failure of unknown origin. This mechanical malfunction necessitated the descent that ultimately placed the aircraft in conditions where the pilot could no longer maintain visual separation from the terrain.