What happened
During a nighttime cargo flight originating from Iron Mountain, a twin engine airplane was performing an approach into Lansing Airport. As the aircraft progressed on its final approach, the crew encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by fog and freezing rain, which significantly limited visibility.
While maneuvering on final approach, the aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall. The subsequent impact occurred a few hundred yards before reaching the runway threshold. The accident resulted in two serious injuries to the flight crew, and the aircraft was completely destroyed during the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing environmental and operational factors. The primary cause was determined to be the failure of the crew to sustain an adequate airspeed while operating within icing conditions. Specifically, the following elements were noted:
- Accumulation of ice on the airframe
- Presence of freezing rain, fog, and a low cloud ceiling
- An aerodynamic stall occurring during the ILS approach due to airframe icing