What happened
While on approach to Detroit, the flight crew received instructions from air traffic control to abandon the landing sequence because of adverse weather conditions. The pilots opted to enter a holding pattern over the city, hoping for meteorological improvements that did not materialize. As fuel reserves became critically low, the captain made the decision to divert the aircraft to London Airport in Ontario. During this phase of flight, the airplane suddenly entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground at a steep angle of 70 degrees in an open field. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 20 occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the aircraft was partially but not completely out of control during its final descent. There was no evidence of fire prior to impact, nor any signs of sabotage. Engine inspections confirmed that the power plants were functioning normally at the time of ground contact, ruling out mechanical failure as a primary cause. While no structural or control system failures were definitively identified, the complete destruction of certain sections of the airframe prevented investigators from entirely excluding the possibility of such failures. Consequently, the board concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to determine a specific probable cause for the accident.