The pilot's decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of control. Also causal was the Alaska Department of Public Safety's punitive culture and inadequate safety management, which prevented the organization from identifying and correcting latent deficiencies in risk management and pilot training. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's exceptionally high motivation to complete search and rescue missions, which increased his risk tolerance and adversely affected his decision-making.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain during an aborted takeoff in whiteout conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was whiteout conditions.