What happened
The accident occurred while the aircraft was conducting a VOR approach to an airport. The pilot failed to maintain adequate altitude during the final phase of the approach, resulting in the airplane impacting rising terrain. The impact site was located approximately 2.5 miles from the airport threshold and lay directly in line with the final approach course.
At the point of impact, the terrain elevation was 1,785 feet MSL. This location corresponded to a segment of the approach profile where the minimum safe altitude was established at 2,520 feet MSL. The aircraft struck the ground approximately 735 feet below this required minimum altitude.
The investigation
Records indicated that the airplane had been last refueled on February 18. At the time of the accident, the estimated total flying time since that refueling event was approximately 5.5 hours. No further mechanical anomalies were cited in the provided narrative.