Accident Overview
A twin-engine airplane was destroyed upon impact after crashing in foggy conditions near Winchester-Randolph County Airport. The pilot, who was the sole occupant on board, was killed in the accident.
Flight History
The pilot had obtained a special VFR clearance to fly from Muncie to Winchester. While descending toward the airport, poor weather conditions forced the pilot to initiate a go-around after being unable to locate the runway. The pilot performed three or four go-around maneuvers before the airplane crashed near the airport in foggy conditions.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain during traffic pattern-circling, resulting from improper in-flight decisions and planning. Contributing factors reported include misjudged altitude, low ceiling, fog, weather considerably worse than forecast, a ceiling at 200 feet, IFR weather conditions, and witnesses estimating three or four approaches to the airport.