Accident Overview
Flight 1808 was cleared for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 4 while approximately 12 miles south of the final approach fix (FAF). The aircraft subsequently collided with trees located 4,007 feet short and 440 feet to the right of the runway threshold.
Sequence of Events
After receiving clearance, the air traffic control (ATC) controller observed that the aircraft was tracking east of the localizer (LOC) course and inquired whether the flight was receiving the ILS localizer. The captain responded, "Not yet we haven't intercepted." The controller then instructed, "Roger, turn left heading 340, show you slightly right of it." Approximately 45 seconds later, as the aircraft crossed the localizer at the FAF with a large intercept angle, the captain acknowledged receiving the localizer.
The aircraft continued past the FAF at a relatively fast speed but was descending very slowly. It continued to the left of the localizer, then crossed back to the right and above the glide slope, subsequently going below the glide slope before impacting trees.
Findings
No pre-impact part failure or malfunction was discovered. Evidence indicated that crew coordination was not consistently practiced among company crew members during routine operations. A previous investigation had revealed that Beech 99 aircraft had cockpit noise levels of up to 97 dB. Additionally, FAA surveillance was adversely affected by a lack of manpower, and the overall experience level of company pilots was reduced by turnover.