Accident Overview
The aircraft collided with trees and crashed on the east side of West Mountain after the pilot had flown an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 5 and subsequently overflew the airport. The impact occurred while the aircraft was in level flight at an altitude of 900 feet above mean sea level (MSL), tracking a heading of 270 degrees. The accident site was located left of the extended centerline of Runway 5, approximately 4 miles northeast of the missed approach point. The airport elevation is 540 feet.
Approach and Weather Conditions
The last weather observation before the accident reported partial obscuration, a ceiling of 300 feet, and visibility of 1 mile. The decision height for the ILS approach was 200 feet, and the visibility minimum was 1/2 mile.
Missed Approach Procedure
The published missed approach procedure for the ILS Runway 5 approach instructed: "Climb to 1100 feet then climbing right turn to 2500 via HOT R-123 to SOCKS INT & hold." At the time of the collision, the aircraft was at 900 feet MSL, below the initial climb altitude specified in the missed approach procedure.
Accident Location
The aircraft struck trees while in level flight on a westerly heading. The location was on the east side of West Mountain, left of the extended runway centerline, and 4 miles northeast of the missed approach point.