What happened
A flight consisting of a crew of seven was operating a route from Miramar to Detroit, including a scheduled stop in Albuquerque to transport the remains of a deceased US Navy pilot. While approaching Willow Run Airport, the pilot established a contingency plan with the crew, stating that if the runway was not visible by 800 feet, the flight would divert to Grosse Isle NAS.
During the descent, the aircraft encountered heavy snowfall and a cloud ceiling of approximately 550 feet. While performing the approach, the aircraft type struck the ground near a pond roughly two miles before reaching runway 05. The impact resulted in the loss of one engine, and the plane subsequently caught fire in an open field. The accident resulted in one fatality and six injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crash was driven by a malfunctioning altimeter caused by ice accumulation. Specifically, moisture had frozen within the drain of the Pitot-Static System, which led to inaccurate and lagging altitude readings as the plane descended toward the airfield.