What happened
A cargo flight traveling from Cincinnati to Wichita, with a scheduled stop at Kansas City Downtown Airport, was performing a VOR runway 03 instrument approach. During the procedure, the pilot was cleared to begin the approach and subsequently transitioned into a circling maneuver toward runway 01. While executing this maneuver, air traffic control notified the pilot of a low altitude alert. The pilot acknowledged the alert, stating he had ground contact, and then declared a missed approach. Following this, the pilot requested a 360-degree turn to facilitate landing on runway 01.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft type approaching from the west at a low altitude. As the aircraft moved over the airport grounds, it executed a sharp turn that caused the left wing to drop into a bank of nearly 90 degrees. The aircraft then struck the ramp area approximately 400 feet to the right of runway 01, near a fixed base operator. The impact caused the plane to burst into flames and slide roughly 200 feet before coming to a rest. There was one fatality involving the pilot, who was the only person on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors regarding the flight's execution. The pilot failed to maintain the required minimum descent altitude and did not properly execute the missed approach procedure. Additionally, the aircraft experienced an inadvertent stall during the maneuver. Contributing factors included improper IFR procedures and a lack of adequate training provided by the operator's management. The company's chief pilot also noted that the pilot demonstrated deficiencies in performing VOR approaches.