Background
An instrument-rated pilot was en route to pick up cargo. Before departure, he received three preflight weather briefings that indicated snow, mountain obscuration, and low visibility.
Accident Sequence
During the flight, the pilot reported seeing the lights of a university and requested a contact approach. He also stated that if he could not get in, he would execute an instrument landing system (ILS) approach. When the airplane was 4 miles south of the airport, a New York air traffic controller cleared the pilot for a contact approach to runway 24.
A witness reported hearing a low-flying airplane. The witness stated that it was snowing heavily and that he briefly saw the tail light of an airplane through the snow. He also reported that a snow squall was in the area at the time. Shortly afterward, the witness heard a sound later determined to be the collision.
Search personnel located the wreckage 3.3 miles south of the airport on top of Mount Nittany, which was about 2,000 feet high. The pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be the pilot's improper inflight planning decision and his failure to maintain proper altitude during the approach. Factors related to the accident were darkness, adverse weather conditions, and high terrain.