What happened
While executing a GPS-A circling approach toward runway 28, the aircraft struck the ground approximately one-third of a mile from the runway's approach end, positioned north of the extended centerline. The flight path involved a left turn from the base leg to the final approach segment. An eyewitness observed the aircraft emerging from cloud cover at an altitude of roughly 300 to 400 feet above the ground. During this maneuver, the aircraft was noted to have a left wing bank of nearly 90 degrees, followed by a nose-down pitch of approximately 30 to 40 degrees before impacting the terrain and exploding.
At the time of the accident, the airport was experiencing visibility between 1.5 and 5 miles, with cloud ceilings ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 feet above ground level. While the first officer had acknowledged receiving the current weather information, the published minimum descent altitude for the airport was 8,200 feet MSL, which was higher than the altitude at which the impact occurred. Data retrieved from the Digital Electronic Engine Controls (DEEC) indicated that during the final four seconds of flight, both power levers were moved from a mid-range position to takeoff power, and the engines responded as expected. No mechanical failures were identified prior to the collision.
Findings
Investigation into the crash revealed that the aircraft was operating in gusty surface winds from 220 degrees, ranging between 20 and 30 knots. The primary factor in the accident was that the pilot failed to sufficiently account for wind drift during the steep, banked turn from the base leg to the final approach. Although the operator's training protocols specified that circling approaches should be avoided in marginal conditions and emphasized the necessity of compensating for wind, the aircraft's descent into the terrain occurred during the maneuvering phase of the approach.