Accident Overview
The aircraft was conducting a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 34 at Asheville Regional Airport when it crashed on tree-covered, rising terrain. The crash site was located approximately 1 to 2 miles south of the final approach fix, while the aircraft was on an outbound heading. The minimum approach altitude in the area was 5,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), while the elevation of the crash site was 2,700 feet MSL.
Investigation Findings
No preimpact malfunction of the aircraft's equipment was identified during the investigation. The pilot had accumulated about 4 hours and 50 minutes of flight time, and had worked a total of approximately 13 hours and 50 minutes (including flight time) in the previous 24-hour period.
Circumstances
The accident occurred after air traffic control cleared the pilot for the approach. The aircraft impacted terrain south of the final approach fix while on an outbound heading, deviating from the expected approach path.