What happened
During an instrument meteorological conditions approach, the pilot was executing a GPS circling instrument approach to a familiar airport. As the flight progressed, the aircraft descended to a level near the minimum descent altitude of approximately 600 feet mean sea level. During this phase, the groundspeed decreased from 90 knots to a minimum of 65 knots. Shortly after this deceleration, the flight path deviated sharply to the left, accompanied by a rapid descent. Radar data placed the aircraft at 200 feet mean sea level less than 0.1 mile from the crash site.
Surveillance footage from two separate cameras recorded the final moments of the flight. One camera captured the aircraft in a shallow left bank that transitioned into a steep descent behind a treeline. A second camera recorded the final four seconds, showing the aircraft already in a steep left bank near the treetops, continuing to roll left before disappearing from view. Both recordings confirmed the aircraft was flying below an overcast ceiling, and engine noise was heard until the moment of impact.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft revealed no mechanical failures that would have prevented standard operation. Evidence from propeller signatures, witness accounts, and audio recordings indicated that the engines were producing power at the time of the crash. The pilot was operating in visibility of approximately 2 statute miles with mist and ceilings of 700 feet mean sea level. Because of these conditions, the pilot likely could not visually identify the runway environment while the aircraft was off course.
Based on flight manual data, the stall speed for the aircraft likely ranged between 67 and 76 knots indicated airspeed. Analysis of surveillance and flight data suggests that as the pilot leveled off near the minimum descent altitude, the airspeed dropped below the stall threshold. This caused the aircraft to enter an aerodynamic stall and spin from which recovery was impossible. Medical examinations of the pilot confirmed that sudden incapacitation was not a factor, and while smoke inhalation occurred during the post-crash fire, there was no evidence of in-flight fire or carbon monoxide exposure prior to the impact. The accident resulted in 1 fatality.