Approach and Accident
The crew was positioning the aircraft in preparation for a revenue flight and executing a non-directional beacon (NDB) approach to runway 05. The captain reported that the copilot was flying the aircraft. However, the captain stated that he took control of the aircraft during the approach and made some control corrections before returning control to the copilot. Radar data indicated that aircraft control was erratic throughout the approach and that the airspeed and descent rates were high, with a sink rate of 3,000 feet per minute shortly before the accident. The aircraft struck a fence short of the runway and impacted the ground.
Crew Coordination
The captain stated that he realized the aircraft was drifting left of course but did not correct it. He also said he told the copilot to add power twice during the approach. The copilot's training history indicated difficulty in control, scan of instruments, and with instrument procedures. Company management described the captain as passive and the copilot as aggressive.
Supervision and Training Issues
Supervision of training and operations by management and surveillance of the company by the FAA was considered inadequate by the NTSB. The probable cause findings highlighted several contributing factors related to the copilot's performance and the lack of adequate oversight.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the accident sequence involved loss of control in flight and subsequent collision with terrain. The probable cause was the copilot's improper use of flight controls, overconfidence in personal ability, inadequate recurrent training, improper airspeed and descent rate, and inadequate supervision by the pilot-in-command. Additionally, inadequate surveillance of the operation by the FAA and insufficient standards/requirements by company management were identified.