What happened
A charter flight departed from Kinston-Stallings Field, North Carolina, at 1838LT, destined for Huntington, West Virginia. The aircraft was transporting members of the Marshall University football team, including players, coaches, and supporters.
At 1923LT, the crew established communication with Huntington Approach Control and received clearance for a localizer approach to runway 11. While navigating through weather characterized by rain and mist, the aircraft passed the Outer Marker at 1934LT and was cleared for landing. During the descent, the plane dropped below the required minimum descent altitude. The crew did not identify that the aircraft had reached an unsafe altitude before it struck trees on a hillside. The impact occurred approximately one mile short of the runway 11 threshold.
The crash resulted in a post-impact fire that completely destroyed the aircraft type/model (not specified, but part of the flight). There were 75 fatalities among the occupants, which included 36 players, nine coaches and administrators, 26 fans, and four crew members. At the time of the accident, visibility was limited by scattered clouds at 300 feet and overcast layers between 500 and 1,000 feet.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary factor was the descent below the minimum descent altitude during a non-precision approach while operating in adverse weather without visual contact with the runway. Investigators noted two potential reasons for this deviation: an error involving the altimetry system or the improper interpretation of cockpit instrument data.