What happened
While operating under instrument meteorological conditions and light snow, the pilot was executing a Localizer DME-1 approach to Runway 16R at Reno. The flight was part of a regular cargo operation between Sacramento and Reno that had been performed weekly since late 1994. During the approach, air traffic control provided radar vectors toward the final approach fix, which required a minimum altitude of 6,700 feet MSL. During this period, the pilot incorrectly repeated several ATC instructions, though controllers corrected these errors during the readback process.
After receiving landing clearance, communication with the aircraft was lost. The aircraft type struck a mountain at an elevation of approximately 6,050 feet MSL. The impact occurred while the plane was tracking the localizer centerline, roughly 2.7 nautical miles prior to reaching the final approach fix. There were 0 survivors in the crash.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the engine, airframe, and avionics revealed no evidence of mechanical failure. The investigation focused on the flight path relative to the terrain, noting that the localizer centerline passed directly over a mountain peak measuring 6,161 feet MSL, which was documented on existing aeronautical charts. The investigation identified altitude deviation as the primary factor in the collision with the terrain.