Accident Overview
On the day of the accident, the pilot contacted Flight Service Station (FSS) and requested weather information for several local San Diego airports. The pilot was advised to expect low IFR conditions with visibility less than 1/4 mile in fog and indefinite ceilings of 100 feet. Subsequently, the pilot obtained a clearance to enter Class B airspace using a fictitious call sign. He requested and was issued an IFR clearance to the destination airport and later cleared for the ILS runway 28R approach.
Approach and Alerts
Prior to issuing the approach clearance, the controller asked the pilot about his intentions in the event of a missed approach. The pilot replied that he would want radar vectors for a second approach. During the approach, the controller repeatedly asked the pilot if he was receiving the glideslope satisfactorily and informed him of his position and the expected altitude along the approach segments. The controller issued two low altitude alerts, with the final alert occurring at the outer marker, where the airplane was observed to be 300 feet low.
Flight Path and Impact
Recorded radar data showed that the airplane was consistently below ATC-assigned and charted minimum descent altitudes for most of the approach. The airplane subsequently collided with trees and the ground about 1 mile short of the runway. Two ground witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and began searching for the source. Due to dense fog, they almost ran over the downed trees and the burning aircraft wreckage before visually acquiring the scene.
Pilot Records and Aircraft Examination
None of the pilot's personal logbooks or aircraft records could be located to establish his instrument currency. However, the pilot's daughter stated that he flew fairly frequently. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no abnormalities in either the engine or the airframe. The day before the accident, the same airplane had been observed entering Class B airspace and landing at a controlled field without an ATC clearance.