What happened
During a return leg of a cargo operation, an aircraft departed from a remote airfield under an instrument flight plan. Following takeoff, the pilot attempted to reach the ARTCC to activate the filed flight plan, but radio contact could not be established.
Radar tracking indicated that the aircraft initially climbed in a westbound direction before turning south toward higher elevations. The flight path included a circling maneuver southwest of the departure point, followed by an eastbound turn while ascending to an altitude of 5,300 feet msl. The aircraft subsequently turned south once more, heading toward the site of the impact. The final radar contact recorded the aircraft at 5,200 feet msl. The aircraft eventually struck a mountain ridgeline at approximately 4,800 feet msl, resulting in fatalities.
Findings
At the time of the accident, several weather hazards were present in the area. Active Airmets indicated widespread IFR conditions, including low ceilings, mountain obscurations, rain, fog, and the presence of icing in both clouds and precipitation. A witness noted that the airframe was covered in ice upon arrival at the airport prior to the final departure. Additionally, snow was falling at the departure airfield during the takeoff phase.