What happened
The aircraft was cleared for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) runway 4 approach while positioned nine miles north of the North Bend (OTH) VOR. Air traffic control instructed the pilot to cross the OTH VOR at or above 3,700 feet mean sea level. Fourteen minutes later, the pilot contacted the North Bend Flight Service Station, reporting that the localizer needle appeared stationary and expressing uncertainty about his exact location. Indications of navigation and communication difficulties persisted.
The aircraft was subsequently cleared by Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) to descend from 5,000 feet to 3,000 feet with a heading of 360 degrees while located 11 miles southwest of the airport. After changing heading to 035 degrees, the pilot stated he had the localizer centered. At the outer marker, the pilot indicated he was slightly high at two thousand feet and intended to descend. Approximately two minutes later, the pilot reported an altitude of 800 feet. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a hilly, wooded area approximately three miles north-northeast of the airport.
The investigation
A chief pilot and an FAA examiner reviewed the pilot's performance during a Part 135 checkride, reporting it as unsatisfactory regarding instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. Maintenance records and statements from another pilot indicated that N1067U had a documented history of discrepancies with its navigation equipment. Additionally, a company pilot stated that management pressured pilots to operate aircraft that were sometimes not airworthy.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's unsatisfactory IFR performance and the aircraft's known navigation equipment issues. Operational pressure from the company to fly potentially unairworthy aircraft also played a role in the accident sequence.