Flight Details
The flight was initially cleared for an instrument flight rules (IFR) route from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Juneau, Alaska. The route followed V-428 to Chill intersection, then direct to Juneau. Chill intersection is located on V-428, 36 miles south of the Haines NDB on a bearing of 146°.
Accident Circumstances
Upon reaching the Haines NDB, the pilot cancelled the IFR clearance and continued the flight under visual flight rules (VFR). Subsequently, the aircraft struck terrain on a glacier between Haines and Juneau, approximately 15 miles southeast of the Haines NDB, at an elevation of about 4,500 feet.
Weather Conditions
A pilot flying approximately 5 miles southwest of the crash site at the time of the accident reported a broken to overcast ceiling at 2,500 to 3,000 feet above mean sea level. The accident site was near the Haines transition of the Barlo 4 departure (SID). In that area, the minimum en route altitude for IFR flight on the Haines transition is 9,000 feet.
Probable Cause Findings
The official investigation listed the occurrence as an in-flight collision with terrain during the descent phase. Findings identified the following factors: clouds, the pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, failure to follow procedures/directives, snow-covered terrain, mountainous/hilly terrain, and failure to maintain proper altitude.