What happened
During an approach into Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field (LZU) in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the pilot was briefed on current meteorological conditions, which included calm winds, a 100-foot ceiling, and visibility of only 1/2-mile due to fog. After receiving this information, the pilot decided to proceed with an instrument landing system (ILS) approach for runway 25. During the initial attempt, the pilot notified air traffic control of an intention to perform a missed approach but subsequently chose to try another approach after spotting the airport through the fog.
Air traffic controllers provided radar vectors to reposition the aircraft for a second attempt at the runway 25 ILS. During this second sequence, the tower controller notified the pilot that the aircraft was positioned to the left of the runway centerline. Shortly after the pilot acknowledged this deviation, the controller observed a bright orange glow on the left side of the approach end of the runway. At the time of the incident, weather conditions remained below the established approach minimums for the runway.
Findings
Post-accident investigations confirmed that the ILS for runway 25 was functioning correctly, following a flight inspection conducted on December 26, 2006. A mechanical examination of the engines, flight controls, airframe, and various system components showed no evidence of mechanical failure prior to the impact.