What happened
A cargo flight was originally intended to divert to an alternative airport that offered a precision instrument approach due to weather conditions. However, the pilot chose to proceed to the original destination, which lacked such capabilities. At the time of the flight, the airport's NDB approach was officially out of service, though a signal was still being emitted by the navigation aid.
While the pilot was cleared to perform a VOR approach, the cockpit instrumentation was configured for the NDB procedure. Radar tracking indicated that the flight path followed the NDB approach trajectory rather than the authorized VOR path. During the approach, the airport reported low visibility of 1.25 miles with a 200-foot overcast and mist. The aircraft failed to reach the runway, instead striking a pole and a building. No mechanical failures were identified in the aircraft following the inspection.
Findings
- The pilot attempted a non-precision approach despite the lack of precision capabilities at the destination.
- The cockpit instrumentation was incorrectly set for an NDB approach instead of the cleared VOR approach.
- The flight path deviated from the cleared instructions, following the path of the inactive NDB signal.
- Weather conditions included low visibility and heavy mist, complicating the approach.