Accident Overview
A pilot with limited instrument experience was involved in an accident while conducting an ILS approach to Runway 12. The pilot had received an instrument rating on August 6, 1982, and had logged only 5.6 hours since that time. According to the pilot's instructor, this was likely the pilot's first low approach in actual instrument conditions after completing the check flight.
Preflight and Departure
A witness reported that the pilot appeared nervous before departure and seemed to need to reach his destination despite the weather. After receiving a weather briefing, the pilot departed on an IFR flight plan with known rain, fog, and low ceilings at the destination.
Approach and Accident
During the arrival phase, the pilot was cleared for an ILS approach to Runway 12. At approximately the position where the pilot would have been intercepting a VOR arc to transition to the ILS, radio and radar contact were lost. The aircraft was later found at the location where it would have intercepted the arc, having impacted the ground in a nose-low, left-wing-low attitude.
Examination
An examination of the engine and flight controls revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure prior to ground impact.