What happened
At 19:15, while en route to the destination, the pilot was informed that weather conditions at the airport included an overcast ceiling at 100 feet and visibility of three-eighths of a mile in fog. By 21:40, the situation had deteriorated slightly as the pilot contacted approach control, which reported the ceiling remained at 100 feet but visibility had dropped to one-eighth of a mile with a runway visual range (RVR) of 2,400 feet for Runway 3.
The pilot was cleared for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 3. Shortly thereafter, the RVR decreased further to 1,600 feet. During this initial attempt, air traffic control advised the pilot twice that the aircraft was deviating from the correct path, first to the right and then to the left.
At approximately 22:07, the pilot initiated a missed approach procedure. Ten minutes later, at 22:17, the pilot was cleared for a second ILS approach to Runway 3. During this second attempt, air traffic control again advised that the aircraft was drifting to the left of the localizer course.
The aircraft subsequently crashed approximately 1,250 feet to the left of the localizer course and about 3,250 feet past the threshold of Runway 3. The crash occurred in extremely low visibility conditions, with the RVR having fallen to 1,600 feet during the earlier phase of the approach sequence.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path deviations noted by air traffic control during both approach attempts. The aircraft was consistently reported as being off-course, specifically drifting left during the critical final approach segments. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were characterized by dense fog and a very low ceiling, which likely contributed to the difficulty in maintaining visual or instrument reference.
Findings
The primary factors leading to the accident included the poor weather conditions with limited visibility and the aircraft's position relative to the localizer course. The pilot was repeatedly advised of lateral deviations during both approach attempts, indicating a failure to maintain the correct flight path despite air traffic control advisories. The crash site location, significantly left of the intended glide path and past the runway threshold, confirms the deviation from the safe approach corridor.
Safety message
This incident highlights the critical importance of adhering to instrument procedures and responding promptly to air traffic control advisories regarding course deviations, especially in low visibility conditions where situational awareness is compromised by weather.