Incident Overview
A twin-engine airplane on a flight from Fargo, North Dakota, to Anoka County-Blaine Airport (Janes Field) in Minnesota entered an uncontrolled descent while descending and crashed near Ramsey, approximately 13 miles northwest of Anoka Airport. The aircraft was destroyed, and all five occupants were killed.
Circumstances
The accident occurred during the initial approach phase of the flight. The pilot failed to maintain flying speed, leading to an uncontrolled descent and subsequent crash.
Contributing Factors
Official findings reported several contributing factors: icing conditions including sleet and freezing rain; visibility of 4 miles or less; fog; and icing reported by another pilot.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was an uncontrolled descent and subsequent crash during initial approach after the pilot failed to maintain flying speed. Contributing factors included icing conditions (sleet, freezing rain), visibility 4 miles or less, fog, and icing reported by another pilot.