What happened
While executing the Mena NDB approach, the aircraft was instructed to maintain an altitude of 5,000 feet MSL until established on the procedure. Following the passage of the NDB, the aircraft began a descent, reaching 4,800 feet MSL while tracking between 040° and 030°. The flight path subsequently shifted to a ground track of 116°, followed by a turn to 350° after approximately 12 seconds. During this period, the ground speed dropped to 93 knots before increasing to 140 knots as the aircraft descended further to 4,600 feet MSL.
The crew of N68152 notified air traffic control that they had descended below the required altitude and intended to cancel their flight plan. Shortly thereafter, radar contact was lost as the aircraft continued descending to 3,000 feet MSL on a heading of 304°. The wreckage was later located 6 miles northwest of the airport at an elevation of 2,000 feet MSL. The accident resulted in two fatalities.
At the time of the incident, significant winds were present at various altitudes, with speeds ranging from 30 to 34 knots from the south-southwest. The terrain in the area is characterized by hilly or mountainous features.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the pilot's handling of the approach. Key findings include:
- Failure to properly compensate for prevailing wind conditions.
- Failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude.
- Non-compliance with established IFR procedures.
- Collision with trees during the descent.
- Environmental factors including low ceilings and mountainous terrain.