What happened
Approximately 23 minutes before the accident, the pilot reported weather at the destination airport consisting of scattered clouds at 900 feet agl, an overcast ceiling at 3,500 feet agl, and visibility of 3 miles. By the time of the accident, conditions had deteriorated to a 300-foot agl overcast ceiling and 1-1/4 mile visibility. The flight was cleared for a VOR-A instrument approach procedure, circling to land on runway 27.
Radar track data indicated that the aircraft descended below the authorized minimum descent altitude (MDA) approximately 2.6 miles northeast of the airport. The airplane leveled off at an altitude roughly 175 feet below the MDA and maintained this level until crossing the intersection of the airport's two runways. Following this, the aircraft turned left to the east, paralleling runway 27 about 600 feet to the south. The final radar return occurred at 185 feet agl, approximately 0.5 miles east of the runway threshold. The point of impact was located about 725 feet north of that last radar contact.
Witnesses observed the aircraft traveling eastbound at altitudes between 150 and 200 feet agl before it performed a left turn back toward the airport, ultimately impacting the terrain nose-first. Some witnesses reported seeing the aircraft reach a bank angle of approximately 90 degrees during this turn. The impact and subsequent ground fire resulted in the destruction of a majority of the airframe. There were no survivors.
The investigation
Examination of the recovered wreckage provided no evidence of a mechanical malfunction occurring prior to the impact.