C-46 Commando Crash During ILS Approach at Detroit (N608Z)

Incident Overview and Weather Conditions A C-46 Commando was cleared for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to runway 03L at Detroit during poor weather conditions. The reported environment included an obscured sky, visibility limited to 1 mile, and light drizzle. ## Approach and Loss of Control During the approach, the aircraft was positioned 1.5 miles to the right of the ILS course and 1 mile northeast of the Outer Marker. At that point, the aircraft suddenly entered a left bank of 45 degrees. As the plane crossed the localizer course from left to right, the bank angle increased beyond 60 degrees. ## Impact and Investigation The aircraft struck several trees, each 84 feet tall, while in an attitude of 8 degrees nose down and 30 degrees right bank. It then struck the ground and disintegrated. Investigators considered the possibility of the captain's incapacitation, but this hypothesis was not supported by postmortem examination.