What happened
During an approach to the airport, the flight crew initially attempted a GPS-based approach to runway 2 but transitioned to a missed approach after reaching minimum altitudes. During a second attempt, the crew monitored automated weather reports which indicated visibility of only one-half mile due to light snow, significantly below the required one-mile minimum for the straight-in approach.
As the aircraft descended, cockpit voice recordings captured the crew noting the presence of the minimum descent altitude and the runway threshold. Despite the low visibility, the aircraft touched down on the runway surface. The pilot attempted to use braking and full reverse thrust on both engines, but the plane failed to decelerate sufficiently. The aircraft continued past the end of the runway, struck a chain-link fence, and moved into descending, uneven terrain. During this excursion, the landing gear collapsed before the aircraft finally came to a rest. The runway surface was noted to have between 2 and 3 inches of slush at the time of the incident.
Findings
Investigation revealed that the flight crew did not execute a missed approach despite flying in visibility conditions that were below the published requirements. Additionally, the ground proximity warning system issued multiple "sink rate" alerts, indicating that the descent rate exceeded normal parameters. Further contributing factors included the failure of the pilot-activated runway lights to activate during both approach attempts and the presence of slush on the runway surface.