What happened
During the final leg of a series of three consecutive cargo round-trips, the pilot was executing a visual approach to runway 33R. After receiving clearance for the approach, the aircraft deviated from the intended path, traveling north of the runway on a westward trajectory similar to a modified downwind pattern for runway 15L. During this deviation, the aircraft's altitude decreased to 700 feet.
As the aircraft reached a position abeam runway 15L, it performed a sudden left turn toward the southeast and struck the ground. Eyewitnesses described the aircraft's flight path as unstable, noting a corkscrew-like motion and oscillating banking. Some observers reported seeing the aircraft in a high-nose attitude with vertical wing positions. Air traffic controllers also observed the plane flying at a low altitude with an unusually high pitch before it banked left and appeared to stall.
Prior to this flight, the pilot had completed two previous round-trips, with the first landing at 2305 the previous evening and the second at 0230. The pilot had been on duty since approximately one hour before the start of the first leg of the current series.
Findings
An inspection of the wreckage showed no evidence of mechanical malfunction contributing to the crash. The aircraft was operating under Part 135 regulations as a cargo carrier. The pilot, who possessed 6,800 total flight hours, had been engaged in continuous flight operations for several hours leading up to the accident.