Approach and Weather Conditions
The pilot was conducting a night arrival and was cleared for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to runway 4. The pilot was advised that the sky was partly obscured, with a measured ceiling of 200 feet overcast and visibility of one-half mile in fog. The wind was from 080 degrees at 17 knots. The minimums for the approach were a 200-foot ceiling and one-half mile visibility.
Loss of Radar and Radio Contact
The pilot began the approach from a 7-mile DME arc. During the descent, radar contact was lost, and the pilot was cleared to contact Quincy Radio. As the pilot reported passing the Quincy VOR, which is just short of the ILS outer marker and final approach fix, the Flight Service Station (FSS) specialist informed him that visibility had dropped to three-eighths of a mile.
Final Communications and Accident
After reporting passing the outer marker, radio contact was lost, except for the sound of a keyed microphone. Subsequently, the aircraft struck trees and crashed well left of the ILS centerline, approximately three-tenths of a mile west from the approach end of runway 4.
Investigation Findings
Investigators found no pre-accident malfunction or failure of the aircraft or the ILS facility.