What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Believed saw airport. A creek bed. Went around and collided with snow covered rising terrain in whiteout condition. (.4)a VFR cross-country air taxi flight with six passengers departed for a remote village. The pilot had previously flown along the accident route that transited a mountainous area. Low clouds were present over the mountains, and the pilot utilized a mountain pass to transit the area about 200 feet above the ground. He decided that route was not suitable for the accident flight with any passengers. During the accident flight, the pilot proceed east of the previously utilized mountain pass. The flight however, still necessitated transiting an area of low hills. As the flight was approaching the destinations, snow covered terrain was rising toward low clouds over the mountains. The pilot observed what he thought was the approach end of the destination airport, and began a descent. Thed apparent runway was actually a creek bottom. The pilot began a turn, and observed rising terrain. He stopped the turn and applied full power. The airplane collided with rising terrain in a whiteout condition, about 900 feet MSL. A passenger in the airplane reported that abou t 10 minutes after departure, the airplane entered an area of fog at an altitude of 3,000 feet MSL. His view of the ground disappeared, and the area around the airplane was completely white. About 5 minutes after entering the fog, the airplane collided with snow covered terrain. (-23) see narrative #ANC98LA040
As the FAA filed it
BELIEVED SAW AIRPORT. A CREEK BED. WENT AROUND AND COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED RISING TERRAIN IN WHITEOUT CONDITION. (.4)A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY AIR TAXI FLIGHT WITH SIX PASSENGERS DEPARTED FOR A REMOTE VILLAGE. THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN ALONG THE ACCIDENT ROUTE THAT TRANSITED A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. LOW CLOUDS WERE PRESENT OVER THE MOUNTAINS, AND THE PILOT UTILIZED A MOUNTAIN PASS TO TRANSIT THE AREA ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE DECIDED THAT ROUTE WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WITH ANY PASSENGERS. DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT PROCEED EAST OF THE PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED MOUNTAIN PASS. THE FLIGHT HOWEVER, STILL NECESSITATED TRANSITING AN AREA OF LOW HILLS. AS THE FLIGHT WAS APPROACHING THE DESTINATIONS, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN WAS RISING TOWARD LOW CLOUDS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE PILOT OBSERVED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE APPROACH END OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AND BEGAN A DESCENT. THED APPARENT RUNWAY WAS ACTUALLY A CREEK BOTTOM. THE PILOT BEGAN A TURN, AND OBSERVED RISING TERRAIN. HE STOPPED THE TURN AND APPLIED FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN IN A WHITEOUT CONDITION, ABOUT 900 FEET MSL. A PASSENGER IN THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT ABOU T 10 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED AN AREA OF FOG AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET MSL. HIS VIEW OF THE GROUND DISAPPEARED, AND THE AREA AROUND THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY WHITE. ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER ENTERING THE FOG, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #ANC98LA040
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.