According to the visiting foreign pilot's written statement, while on approach to land at a desert airport, he encountered severe turbulence, was unable to maintain altitude, and the airplane impacted the ground 50 feet short of the runway. The nearest weather reporting station was 12 NM to the north-east, and reported that the wind was 150 degrees true at 13 knots, with gusts to 19. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.