What happened
During an approach to the Alief-Andrau Airpark, an aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power when one of its engines failed. At the time of the incident, the area was experiencing low cloud ceilings ranging between 400 and 600 feet. As a result of the engine failure, the aircraft was unable to maintain sufficient airspeed, leading to an aerodynamic stall. The plane subsequently crashed during the landing sequence.
The accident resulted in one fatality and left two other occupants with serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several critical environmental and mechanical factors. The primary cause was determined to be a malfunction of one engine for reasons that remain undetermined. Several contributing elements were noted during the analysis:
- A total failure of one engine
- Inability to maintain necessary flying speed
- Reduced visibility, measured at one mile or less
- Low cloud ceilings between 400 and 600 feet