Approach and Missed Approach Announcement
The pilot of an aircraft was conducting an approach to Knox County Airport in Rockland, Maine. After receiving a weather report from UNICOM indicating that local weather conditions were below approach minimums, the pilot communicated that he would execute a missed approach. No further communications were received from the aircraft.
Witness Account
A witness located on top of Bald Mountain, near the airport, reported that the fog was very thick. The witness heard the aircraft strike the mountain and stated that the engine was running smoothly with no sounds of malfunction.
Wreckage Location
The aircraft was found approximately 15 miles from the airport on a heading of 30 degrees.
Previous Weather and Flight Information
Earlier, the pilot had received a report that weather conditions were below minimums and that no aircraft had arrived at the destination airport that morning.
Pilot Training Background
An instructor who provided instrument training to the pilot noted that he had observed a weakness in the pilot's missed approach planning during training, but it appeared to have been corrected after the training was completed.
Post-Accident Investigation
The post-accident investigation revealed no evidence of aircraft malfunction. Additionally, no evidence of medical factor involvement was found.