Introduction
On the day of the accident, the pilot of an aircraft approaching Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field (LZU) in Lawrenceville, Georgia, received current weather information from Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) personnel. The reported conditions included calm winds, visibility of one-half mile in fog, and a ceiling of 100 feet. The pilot acknowledged the information and elected to continue with an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 25.
Flight History
During the first landing attempt, the pilot reported that he would execute a missed approach but noted that he saw the airport below and wished to attempt another approach. The ARTCC controller provided radar vectors back to the ILS runway 25 approach and updated the pilot with the current weather conditions. On the second approach, the tower controller advised the pilot that he was left of the runway 25 centerline. Shortly after the pilot acknowledged being left of the centerline, the tower controller observed a bright "orange glow" off the left side of the approach end of runway 25. The weather conditions were below the approach minimums for the runway 25 approach, yet the pilot chose to attempt the landing.
Investigation
A flight inspection of the ILS system on December 26, 2006, found the system satisfactory. Examination of the airframe, flight control system components, engines, and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to follow the instrument approach procedure, with a contributing factor being the pilot's descent below the prescribed decision height altitude.