What happened
The pilot was conducting an emergency medical service (EMS) flight to transport a critically ill patient. Prior to the flight, the pilot had received an abbreviated weather briefing and expressed concern regarding potential low visibility for landing.
During the ILS runway 3 approach, the aircraft remained well above the glide slope until it reached the vicinity of the middle marker. During this phase, the aircraft's airspeed decreased from 153 to 100 knots, while the rate of descent increased from 711 feet per minute to approximately 1,250 feet per minute. Approximately one mile from the runway and at 500 feet above ground level, the aircraft abruptly turned left of the localizer course and began a gradual descent. No distress call was made by the pilot. The aircraft struck a pole and subsequently entered a building, where it caught fire. The accident resulted in 1 fatality and 1 survivor, the latter being the paramedic on board.
Conditions at the time were dark with fog and a low ceiling; visibility and ceiling at the destination were less than what had been forecast in the pilot's preflight weather briefing.
The investigation
Investigators found no evidence of preimpact mechanical problems with the engines or the aircraft. There were no anomalies identified with the ILS equipment. While the flight nurse was using a cellular phone during the flight, investigators found no evidence that the device caused interference with the aircraft's navigational systems.
Findings
The pilot, a former military helicopter pilot, had logged 3,500 total flight hours, including approximately 150 hours in multiengine airplanes. However, evidence indicated a lack of experience with actual instrument approaches in fixed-wing aircraft, noting that the pilot had experienced difficulty with instrument flying during recent training and FAA check flights.