What happened
During an approach under instrument meteorological conditions, the aircraft struck the ground approximately one mile before reaching the runway threshold. The flight was executing an ILS approach in an environment characterized by fog and a low ceiling at night. During the descent, the aircraft experienced a significant deviation from the established decision height.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the pilot's handling of the approach. The pilot failed to identify and respond appropriately to a major deviation from the required altitude. Key findings include:
- Failure by the pilot in command to follow established IFR procedures.
- Disregard for the prescribed decision height during the descent.
- Environmental factors including fog, low cloud ceilings, and darkness.
- The pilot's failure to recognize and react to a gross deviation from the decision height.