Cessna CE-207 | N90193

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot arrived at night in rapidly decreasing ceiling and visibility conditions and asked for a Special VFR clearance, which he received. While maneuvering, it is believed that the pilot encountered near zero zero conditions and overflew the airport trying to find it, and then flew the aircraft into rising terrain without being able to see it. At 2159, the airplane was about 4 nautical miles southeast of the KSM airport and about 180 ft agl over the Yukon River. The airplane continued north toward the airport, overflew the west side of runway 6/24, then maneuvered to the west of the airport. The airplane then made a left 180° turn and overflew runway 6/24 about 200 ft agl. The airplane turned right and proceeded south, then made a steep right descending turn toward the ground. The final recorded point was above the accident site.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft use technology for pre flight planning as well as while enroute, to avoid flight in hazardous obscuration weather conditions, and that they avoid night VFR flight in mountainous terrain. The DTSB recommends that pilots avoid attempted night VFR flight in weather conditions such as this.