What happened
On a positioning flight from Leipzig to Zurich, an aircraft operated by FSH Luftfahrtunternehmen under contract for Cirrus Aviation was performing its final approach to Zurich-Kloten Airport. During the approach to runway 14, the flight crew encountered heavy fog, which significantly reduced visibility. At the time of the incident, the horizontal visibility was measured at 200 metres, while the vertical visibility was 300 feet. The reported runway visual range (RVR) for runway 14 was approximately 275 metres, which was below the required 400-metre minimum for a CAT II approach.
Despite the visibility being below established minimums, the crew proceeded with the approach. The aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) and made contact with the ground in the area situated between runways 14 and 16. Following the impact, the aircraft rolled for several dozen metres, during which time the landing gear was lost. The aircraft eventually came to a stop in a frost-covered field. The two pilots on board sustained minor injuries and were able to evacuate the wreckage. The aircraft was determined to be a total loss due to the extent of the damage.
Findings
Investigation into the circumstances indicates that the crew continued the approach despite the visibility being below the required minimums for the approach type. Environmental conditions at the time included freezing fog, an outside air temperature of -3° C, and a dew point of -part -4° C.