Weather and Pilot Reports
Weather reporting facilities indicated icing conditions in the vicinity of the accident site. A pilot of a Cessna Citation, flying the same RNAV approach approximately twenty minutes before the accident, reported encountering light to occasional moderate rime ice.
Communications
The last communication between the local air traffic controller and the accident pilot indicated that the flight was two miles south of the final approach fix. The controller asked if the pilot had the runway in sight, to which the pilot responded, "negative, still IMC."
Witness Observation
A witness on the ground near the accident site reported hearing the aircraft first, then seeing it at a low altitude below the cloud base, flying in a southeasterly direction. The witness stated that the right wing was lower than the left as the aircraft continued to descend. The witness then noted that the wings moved "side to side" (up and down) a couple of times before the nose of the aircraft dropped near vertical to the terrain. The witness reported hearing the sound of the engine running steadily throughout the event.
Wreckage and Aftermath
The wreckage was located in a flat open field about 3,000 feet south of the final approach fix coordinates. The aircraft was destroyed by impact damage and a post-crash fire.
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while on approach for landing in icing conditions. Inadequate airspeed was a factor.