What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flew into top cloud obscured mountain in whiteout. Contiued bfr. Into IMC. (.4) the certificated airline transport pilot, and nine passengers departed on a scheduled VFR commuter flight for a destination about 160 miles south of the departure airport. The terminal forecast for the destination airport, located in class e airspace, was indicating a visibility greater than six miles, with scattered clouds at 2,500 feet. Temporary conditions included a visibility of five miles in light rain and snow, with broken clouds at 2,000 feet. While enroute, an obscured ceiling began to lower, and the pilot said he descended to 1,000 feet MSL. The pilot said the visibility decreased to between three to four miles, and he began to follow a road toward the destination. About six miles north of the destination, the pilot obtained an airport advisory. The weather conditions at the destination airport were one mile visibility in light snow and mist, and a ceiling of 1,000 feet broken. The pilot requested a special VFR clearance. As the in-flight visibility decreased to 1 mile, the pilot said he decided to begin a right turn back to an area of better visibility. During the turn, he said he entered white-out conditions. He leveled the wings of the airplane, and applied engine power to begin a climb. The airplane then collided with snow covered terrain, about 850 feet MSL. The location of the accident is about 1 mile north of the class e airspace.
As the FAA filed it
FLEW INTO TOP CLOUD OBSCURED MOUNTAIN IN WHITEOUT. CONTIUED BFR. INTO IMC. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, AND NINE PASSENGERS DEPARTED ON A SCHEDULED VFR COMMUTER FLIGHT FOR A DESTINATION ABOUT 160 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE TERMINAL FORECAST FOR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, LOCATED IN CLASS E AIRSPACE, WAS INDICATING A VISIBILITY GREATER THAN SIX MILES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2,500 FEET. TEMPORARY CONDITIONS INCLUDED A VISIBILITY OF FIVE MILES IN LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW, WITH BROKEN CLOUDS AT 2,000 FEET. WHILE ENROUTE, AN OBSCURED CEILING BEGAN TO LOWER, AND THE PILOT SAID HE DESCENDED TO 1,000 FEET MSL. THE PILOT SAID THE VISIBILITY DECREASED TO BETWEEN THREE TO FOUR MILES, AND HE BEGAN TO FOLLOW A ROAD TOWARD THE DESTINATION. ABOUT SIX MILES NORTH OF THE DESTINATION, THE PILOT OBTAINED AN AIRPORT ADVISORY. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WERE ONE MILE VISIBILITY IN LIGHT SNOW AND MIST, AND A CEILING OF 1,000 FEET BROKEN. THE PILOT REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE. AS THE IN-FLIGHT VISIBILITY DECREASED TO 1 MILE, THE PILOT SAID HE DECIDED TO BEGIN A RIGHT TURN BACK TO AN AREA OF BETTER VISIBILITY. DURING THE TURN, HE SAID HE ENTERED WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS. HE LEVELED THE WINGS OF THE AIRPLANE, AND APPLIED ENGINE POWER TO BEGIN A CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, ABOUT 850 FEET MSL. THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT IS ABOUT 1 MILE NORTH OF THE CLASS E AIRSPACE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.