What happened
The pilot performed two initial VOR approaches to the airport, executing a missed approach following each attempt. During the period following the second missed approach, the air traffic controller asked if the decision to execute the missed approach was due to fog. The pilot reported that while there were pockets of visibility, they could not see the runway.
The pilot subsequently requested and received clearance for a third approach. After being instructed by the controller to contact the airport advisory frequency, the pilot complied, but no further radio transmissions were made by the aircraft.
The aircraft eventually came to rest in a wooded area approximately 2 miles northwest of the airport at an elevation of 1,679 feet MSL. The wreckage path followed a 245-degree bearing. At the time of the accident, witnesses described the weather as having heavy fog, which completely obscured the surrounding mountains.
The investigation
An FAA inspector had flown the runway 25 VOR approach on the day of the accident, and no abnormalities were found regarding the airport facilities or navigation equipment. An examination of the Airport Facility Directory for N23 indicated that numerous hills surround the airport at elevations up to 800 feet above the airport elevation. The missed approach procedure for the VOR approach required a climbing right turn to 3,400 feet and a northeast course to an intersection located roughly 5.2 miles northeast of the airport.