What happened
During a night approach into Detroit, a C-46 Commando was executing an ILS approach for runway 03L. The environmental conditions at the time were unfavorable, characterized by light drizzle and visibility limited to one mile, with the sky obscured.
While the aircraft was approximately 1.5 miles to the right of the localizer course and situated 1 mile northeast of the Outer Marker, it began an abrupt left turn at a 45-degree bank angle. As the plane moved from the left side of the localizer to the right, the bank angle increased beyond 60 degrees. The aircraft subsequently impacted several trees that were 84 feet in height while maintaining an 8-degree nose-down pitch and a 30-degree right bank. Following this impact, the aircraft struck the ground and broke apart.
Findings
Investigators examined the possibility that the captain had become incapacitated during the flight; however, medical examinations performed after death did not provide evidence to support this theory. The investigation concluded that the aircraft experienced a loss of control while conducting an instrument approach in adverse weather conditions, though the specific reason for the sudden maneuver remained undetermined.