Event Description
A pilot departed on a 15-minute cargo flight with an adequate fuel supply. At the destination airport, he entered a left traffic pattern for runway 36 and turned onto final approach with 30 degrees of flaps extended. Witnesses observed a sudden wind gust from the west. One witness, a fisherman at the airport, estimated the wind direction was down the runway at 35 to 40 knots with higher gusts. After the gust, the airplane suddenly banked right about 80 degrees and began descending. It struck trees and powerlines before impacting the ground. The witness reported that the engine sound remained steady throughout the approach, with no faltering.
Weather Conditions
At the departure airport around departure time, the wind was reported from 330 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 22 knots. About 30 minutes before the accident, a weather station 6 nautical miles south-southeast of the site reported wind from north-northwest at 24 knots, gusting to 27 knots. About 30 minutes after the accident, the same station reported wind from northwest at 30 knots, gusting to 37 knots.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the airplane, its systems, and the engine found no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation. The evidence was consistent with the airplane encountering a gusty crosswind that led to the right bank and the pilot's loss of control, resulting in an accelerated stall.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated in the official investigation, is the pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the approach after encountering a gusty crosswind, which resulted in an accelerated stall and uncontrolled descent.