What happened
During a flight involving multiple approach attempts, the pilot sought updated meteorological data for two nearby airfields following an unsuccessful approach at the primary destination. The available options included an airport located 53 miles to the northeast with a 900-foot ceiling and 6 miles of visibility, and another site 21 miles to the southwest characterized by zero visibility and a 1/4 mile visibility range. The pilot chose to proceed toward the latter location.
After performing a second missed approach, the flight continued toward the accident airport. While being provided with radar vectors for the ILS runway 36L, the aircraft drifted to the right of the localizer path and underwent a sudden loss of altitude. The final recorded altitude for the aircraft was documented as being beneath the established decision height.
Findings
An investigation into the incident confirmed that all airport navigational aids used for the approach were functioning correctly. Additionally, the onboard navigation receivers of the aircraft were found to be in proper working order. Medical examinations of the pilot showed no evidence of underlying disease, and toxicology reports returned negative results for alcohol and controlled substances.