What happened
During an approach to runway 14, the pilot requested a surveillance radar approach. At the time of the request, weather reports indicated a ceiling of only 100 feet and visibility of 1/16 mile due to fog, with calm winds. The pilot also requested a secondary surveillance approach to runway 32 in the event that a missed approach was necessary from the initial runway. The established approach minimums for the area required a visibility of 1-1/4 mile and a ceiling of 460 feet MSL.
Radar control identified that the aircraft's altitude readout had dropped below the required minimums and instructed the pilot to perform a missed approach. The controller received no response from the cockpit. The aircraft was subsequently located floating in the bay, roughly 2 miles from the runway's end. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was killed in the accident.
Findings
Reports from another pilot based at the same facility indicated a pattern of behavior, noting that the crew had previously attempted approaches under weather conditions that did not meet the necessary requirements. The primary factor in the accident was the decision to continue the approach despite visibility and ceiling levels being far below published minimums.