Circumstances
The aircraft was traveling on a cross-country flight from Buffalo, NY, to New Port Richey, FL. The pilot made an en route stop at Painesville, OH, then continued toward Greensboro, NC. While en route, he elected to land at Roanoke, VA, because his fuel would be low if he continued to Greensboro.
Weather and Approach
At Roanoke, the pilot began the LDA approach to Runway 05. The reported weather included 200 ft broken clouds, 400 ft overcast, visibility 2 miles with light rain and fog. The minimums for the precision approach were 400 ft ceiling and 1 mile visibility.
Missed Approach and Impact
At 1152:37, the pilot had begun a missed approach. Shortly after, he was advised he was flying toward high terrain and was provided vectors. A short time later, the radar controller noted that the aircraft descended from 2,800 ft to 1,800 ft, then radar contact was lost. A witness saw the aircraft maneuvering at 75 to 100 ft above ground level, just before it impacted a tree and a TV transmission line.
Wreckage Examination
An examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure. An estimation of fuel consumption indicated that only about 23 gallons would have been remaining.