What happened
While approaching the airport, the crew encountered heavy rain showers to the west. At the airfield, conditions were characterized by fog and drizzle, with visibility obscured to approximately 200 feet. Although the crew originally planned to use runway 22, they decided to switch to runway 04 after receiving a report of wind gusts reaching 27 knots. However, this gust information was incorrect due to a malfunction in the Low Level Windshear Alert System (LLWAS), as the actual wind was not gusty.
During the ILS approach for runway 04, the crew was informed that the visibility (RVR) was 1,800 feet, which was below the required minimum of 2,400 feet for the approach. Despite this, the aircraft continued the descent. During the maneuver toward the final approach fix, the aircraft experienced significant ground speed fluctuations, ranging from 320 to 190 knots as it transitioned through varying wind conditions. The aircraft subsequently descended through windshear and touched down 1,600 feet short of the runway. Upon impact, the aircraft struck the approach lighting system, a fence, and railroad tracks. All seven occupants were killed.
Findings
Investigation of the cockpit voice recorder revealed that the descent from 4,000 feet to 1,900 feet was delayed prior to reaching the final approach fix. Additionally, the gear warning horn was heard before the crew extended the landing gear and speed brakes. While the engines showed evidence of low RPM at the time of impact, no mechanical failures were identified prior to the crash. The crew members were experienced, with over 10,000 total flight hours each, though they had relatively limited experience in jet aircraft, with approximately 160 hours each.
A malfunction in the LLWAS provided erroneous wind gust data to the crew.