Narrative:

At departure time WX reporting 800 broken 2 mi visibility. Departed st marys runway 16 flew runway heading approximately 2 mi and cleared up airplane, ie, configured for cruise. Turned west, southwest and encountered deteriorating WX conditions most notably whiteout. While trying to stay visual with the north shore of the yukon river I descended 500 ft approximately until ground contact in level flight without realizing I was in a descent. The cause of the incident was inattn to gauges while in whiteout. Trying to stay visual in whiteout when one must revert to instrument flying is the basic corrective action to deter such another event. Reference accident/incident letter mailed to him. He says it was classified by NTSB, as incident. Aircraft damage not substantial. Poi given re- examination, bethel, ak.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SEL ENCOUNTERS WHITEOUT CONDITION AND FLIES INTO THE GND.

Narrative: AT DEP TIME WX RPTING 800 BROKEN 2 MI VISIBILITY. DEPARTED ST MARYS RWY 16 FLEW RWY HDG APPROX 2 MI AND CLRED UP AIRPLANE, IE, CONFIGURED FOR CRUISE. TURNED W, SW AND ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS MOST NOTABLY WHITEOUT. WHILE TRYING TO STAY VISUAL WITH THE N SHORE OF THE YUKON RIVER I DSNDED 500 FT APPROX UNTIL GND CONTACT IN LEVEL FLT WITHOUT REALIZING I WAS IN A DSCNT. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS INATTN TO GAUGES WHILE IN WHITEOUT. TRYING TO STAY VISUAL IN WHITEOUT WHEN ONE MUST REVERT TO INST FLYING IS THE BASIC CORRECTIVE ACTION TO DETER SUCH ANOTHER EVENT. REF ACCIDENT/INCIDENT LETTER MAILED TO HIM. HE SAYS IT WAS CLASSIFIED BY NTSB, AS INCIDENT. ACFT DAMAGE NOT SUBSTANTIAL. POI GIVEN RE- EXAMINATION, BETHEL, AK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.