Introduction
An airplane on a flight from Washington, DC, crashed while approaching Chapel Hill-Horace Williams. The aircraft, a twin-engine model, was in a descent when it entered fog that reduced visibility to zero. It subsequently struck trees and was destroyed. All seven people on board were killed.
Approach and Collision
The flight had been uneventful until the crew began the descent to the destination airport. As the aircraft neared the field, it encountered dense fog. With visibility dropping to zero, the pilot maneuvered for a contact approach. During the final approach, the airplane collided with trees and crashed.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined the probable cause of the accident to be a collision with trees on final approach due to improper IFR operation. Contributing factors reported include fog, an improperly loaded aircraft, weather conditions slightly worse than forecast, zero visibility, maneuvering for a contact approach, the aircraft being loaded near the aft center of gravity limit, and the airplane exceeding its maximum gross weight by 554 pounds.
These findings were based on examination of the wreckage and operational records. The official report did not specify the aircraft type, registration, or other details beyond those stated.