What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While conducting a FAR part 135 sightseeing flight, unusual and dynamic weather conditions were encountered. The weather conditions provided a dark overcast sky and created a "flat lighting" situation in which there were no visual cues to the proximity of the ice and snow. This condition would be similar to "white out" without actually being in a snow cloud or shower. Pilot reduced speed and while transitioning through approx. 70 knots the skid gear contacted the glacier. The aircraft skidded across the snow/ice field about 30 meters at which point the skid gear submarined under the packed snow causing the aircraft to flip over, nose first, coming to rest inverted. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE CONDUCTING A FAR PART 135 SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, UNUSUAL AND DYNAMIC WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS PROVIDED A DARK OVERCAST SKY AND CREATED A "FLAT LIGHTING" SITUATION IN WHICH THERE WERE NO VISUAL CUES TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE ICE AND SNOW. THIS CONDITION WOULD BE SIMILAR TO "WHITE OUT" WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING IN A SNOW CLOUD OR SHOWER. PILOT REDUCED SPEED AND WHILE TRANSITIONING THROUGH APPROX. 70 KNOTS THE SKID GEAR CONTACTED THE GLACIER. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ACROSS THE SNOW/ICE FIELD ABOUT 30 METERS AT WHICH POINT THE SKID GEAR SUBMARINED UNDER THE PACKED SNOW CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER, NOSE FIRST, COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.