What happened
During a flight traveling from Motu toward Opotki, the pilot encountered increasingly difficult weather conditions. As the terrain became too hazardous to continue the original route, the pilot elected to perform a low-level return flight to Motu, following a reciprocal course indicated by a handheld marine GPS.
While navigating the Otara river valley toward Motahora, the cloud base dropped significantly compared to the conditions observed only six minutes earlier. During this period, the pilot became heavily dependent on the handheld GPS for navigation. The reliance on this device ultimately led the aircraft into the cloud base, resulting in the crash.
Findings
- The flight was conducted in deteriorating weather with a lowering cloud base.
- The pilot relied heavily on a handheld marine GPS for navigation during the return leg.
- The use of the handheld GPS led the aircraft into the cloud base, causing the accident.