What happened
During an instrument flight returning to its destination, the aircraft was cleared for an instrument approach by air traffic control. Shortly after receiving this clearance, the pilot decided to cancel the existing instrument flight plan, reporting to the controller that the aircraft was positioned below the cloud ceiling. At the time of the incident, the destination airport was experiencing low clouds, fog, and reduced visibility.
While attempting to maneuver for a visual approach under these conditions, the aircraft struck a river bank. There were no mechanical failures identified during the post-crash inspection of the airframe.
Findings
- The area surrounding the destination airport was characterized by low visibility and fog.
- The pilot transitioned from an instrument flight plan to a visual approach attempt while flying below the weather.
- No mechanical issues were found to have contributed to the impact.