Overview
An aircraft on a flight from Miramar to Detroit, with a crew of seven, made a stop in Albuquerque to transport the remains of a U.S. Navy pilot killed in an earlier accident. While descending to Willow Run Airport, the pilot briefed the crew on approach minimums and informed them that if the runway was not sighted at 800 feet, they would divert to Grosse Isle Naval Air Station.
Sequence of Events
The approach was conducted in low visibility due to snowfall, with a reported ceiling of 550 feet. During the approach, the aircraft struck the ground near a pond, lost an engine, and came to rest in flames in an open field about two miles short of runway 05. LCDR William E. Sale was killed in the accident, and six other crew members sustained injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident was caused by a faulty altimeter reading resulting from a frozen moisture drain on the Pitot Static System. This condition caused the altimeter readings to lag during the descent.