Summary
A commercial certificated pilot was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 135, cargo flight and attempted to land on a remote runway. The approach end of the runway is located at the edge of a river. During the fourth landing attempt, the airplane collided with the river embankment, resulting in structural damage.
Accident Details
The director of operations for the operator interviewed several witnesses to the accident. They reported that weather conditions in the area had been good VFR, but as the pilot was attempting to land, rain and mist moved over the area, reducing the visibility to about 1/4 mile. Within 30 minutes of the accident, the weather conditions were once again VFR.
Pilot Account
The pilot told an FAA inspector that the weather conditions consisted of a 500-foot ceiling and 2 miles of visibility. The pilot reported making three passes over the runway before attempting to land. On the last landing approach, while maintaining 80 knots airspeed, the pilot said the nose of the airplane dropped. He applied full power and tried to raise the nose, but the airplane collided with the river bank.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude during the landing approach, which resulted in an undershoot and in-flight collision with a river embankment. Factors contributing to the accident were reduced visibility due to rain and mist.