Incident Overview
During an NDB approach, the pilot canceled his IFR flight plan after reporting the airport in sight. Shortly after radar service was terminated, the pilot reestablished radio contact with ATC and stated he had lost sight of the airport. ATC instructed the pilot to climb to 2,000 feet, but the pilot did not reply. The last radar return showed the airplane turning left (northeast), while the published missed approach procedure specifies a climbing right turn to an altitude of 1,900 feet MSL. The airplane subsequently impacted trees approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the airport.
Flight Conditions
The pilot had been flying for approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes non-stop from Kentucky. The flight was conducted almost entirely in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), with moderate to severe turbulence and rime ice. The approach was attempted during darkness, with low visibility and no ground references available.
Sequence of Events
After initiating the approach, the pilot canceled IFR when the airport was in sight. However, he later lost visual contact and contacted ATC. Despite receiving climb instructions, no further communication was received from the pilot. Radar data indicated the aircraft deviated from the published missed approach, turning left instead of right, and then descended into trees northeast of the airport.