What happened
During a flight originating from Washington DC, the crew began their descent toward Chapel Hill-Horace Williams. As the twin engine airplane progressed through its approach, the pilots encountered dense fog that reduced visibility to zero. During this phase of flight, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed.
There were seven fatalities in the accident, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing elements related to the flight's operation and condition. The primary factor was a collision with trees during the final approach caused by improper IFR operation.
Additional findings included:
- Extremely low visibility due to fog, which was more severe than predicted in weather forecasts.
- The aircraft was operating near its aft center of gravity limit.
- The plane was overweight, exceeding the maximum gross weight by 554 lbs.
- Issues related to improper loading of the aircraft.
- Maneuvering performed while attempting a contact approach.