Overview
A positioning flight intended to relocate the airplane for an early Monday morning freight run ended in a crash. The sole pilot was killed when the airplane impacted terrain inverted and burned.
Accident Sequence
During the approach, the pilot called for a missed approach. After receiving clearance, the pilot declared that he was in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions and believed he would land on runway 31. While executing a turn, the airplane struck the ground in an inverted attitude and caught fire.
Weather Conditions
Weather recorded at the airport 21 minutes before the accident included an indefinite ceiling of 100 feet, sky obscured, and visibility of 1/4 mile in fog.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was determined as a loss of control during the approach, with contributing factors including fog, the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision-making, improper use of equipment, dark night conditions, inaccurate weather evaluation, self-induced pressure, attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and an inadvertent stall/spin. This led to an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.