Incident Overview
While on approach to Saint Louis-Downtown Airport, the crew of a twin-engine airplane encountered poor visibility, a low ceiling, and icing conditions. The aircraft descended too low, striking power cables before crashing in Centreville, near the airport.
Occupants and Injuries
The accident resulted in three passengers being killed and three other occupants sustaining injuries.
Meteorological Conditions
Conditions at the time included low ceiling, ice accumulation (sleet and freezing rain), visibility of three miles or less, and fog.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be a collision with wires/poles on final approach due to improper Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operation. Contributing factors included the low ceiling, icing conditions (sleet and freezing rain), reduced visibility (three miles or less), fog, and the aircraft striking wires during a localizer approach.