What happened
During an ILS runway 12 approach at Huntington (HTS), an aircraft struck the ground with its left wingtip before cartwheeling and coming to rest upside down. Prior to the flight, the pilot was notified that visibility at the airport had dropped to 1/8 of a mile, which was significantly below the required 3/4 mile minimum for the ILS approach.
Following an initial missed approach, the aircraft's transponder was set to 7600. Radar tracking showed that after a second attempt at the ILS approach, the aircraft began a climbing left turn. Approximately two miles southeast of the airport at an altitude of 2,100 feet, the plane executed a sudden right turn, after which radar contact was lost. The aircraft eventually struck terrain on a heading of 260° in the area between runway 30 and the parallel taxiway. There was one fatality involving the pilot, who was the only person on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the actions of the pilot in command. The primary cause was determined to be operating below established approach and landing minimums. Additionally, investigators noted that improper IFR procedures were followed, failure to adhere to specific directives, a failure to properly execute the missed approach procedure, and the improper use of air-to-ground communications.