Incident Overview
The accident involved a twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft that experienced a runway excursion during an instrument approach. The flight crew initiated a GPS runway 2 approach, with the captain initially executing a missed approach. During the second attempt, the crew monitored automated weather reports indicating visibility of one-half mile in light snow, which was below the published minimum of one mile for the straight-in approach.
Approach and Impact
Cockpit voice recorder data revealed that the first officer called out reaching the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) at 6,860 feet MSL. Shortly after, the GPWS issued repeated "sink rate" alerts, indicating an excessive descent rate. Despite these warnings and visibility conditions not meeting regulatory requirements for continuing below MDA, the crew did not execute a missed approach. The aircraft touched down near the midfield windsock.
Aftermath
The captain applied brakes and full reverse thrust, but the aircraft failed to decelerate due to 2–3 inches of slush on the runway surface. The plane continued past the runway end, struck a chain-link fence, and slid into downsloping rough terrain before coming to rest with collapsed landing gear.
Contributing Factors
The investigation highlighted that the runway lights were inoperative despite pilot activation attempts. Regulatory standards require pilots to execute a missed approach if visibility is below prescribed limits or if normal descent rates are exceeded below MDA. The failure to adhere to these protocols, combined with adverse weather and runway contamination, led to the accident.