What happened
Prior to his first instrument approach into Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field (LZU) in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the pilot received weather updates indicating calm winds, 1/2-mile visibility in fog, and a ceiling of 100 feet. The pilot acknowledged these conditions and proceeded with an instrument landing system (ILS) runway-25 approach.
During the initial landing attempt, the pilot notified Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center personnel of his intention to execute a missed approach, but subsequently decided to attempt another approach after seeing the airport below. The controller provided radar vectors back to the ILS runway-25 approach and updated the pilot on the current weather.
During this second approach, the tower controller notified the pilot that the aircraft was left of the runway-25 centerline. Shortly after the pilot acknowledged this deviation, the tower controller observed a bright orange glow on the left side of the approach end of runway 25. Despite the fact that weather conditions were below the established approach minimums for runway 25, the pilot elected to attempt the landing.
The investigation
A flight inspection of the ILS conducted on December 26, 2006, determined that the ILS runway-25 approach system was satisfactory. An examination of the airframe, engines, flight control system components, and other system components showed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.