What happened
During an RNAV-B approach, the aircraft struck hilly terrain at an elevation of 750 feet MSL. The impact occurred approximately 3 miles southeast of the airport while the aircraft was descending and turning toward the south-southeast. At the time of the accident, the required minimum descent altitude (MDA) for this approach was 1,680 feet.
Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing from Flight Service Station personnel approximately four hours before takeoff. While there was no specific weather reporting station at the destination, the regional forecast indicated marginal VMC with light snow showers and visibility between 3 and 5 miles. Crucially, information regarding forecasted 1,200-foot ceilings and 3-mile visibility at Pellston was not included in the pilot's initial briefing. The pilot did not update his weather briefing when filing the IFR flight plan.
During the flight, the pilot monitored weather conditions at Pellston and Traverse City, noting reports of obscured or indefinite ceilings below 1,500 feet accompanied by gusty winds and light snow squalls. Witnesses at the accident site reported experiencing snow showers with visibility reduced to between 1/4 and 3/4 miles. The two fatalities occurred as the aircraft descended below safe altitudes into terrain.
Findings
Investigations identified several contributing factors related to both preflight preparation and environmental conditions. The pilot's preflight planning and briefing were found to be inadequate, alongside deficiencies in the weather briefing provided by FSS personnel. Environmental factors included low ceilings, snow, high winds, gusts, and obscured visibility, all of which resulted in conditions below approach and landing minimums.
Additionally, the investigation concluded that the pilot failed to follow IFR procedures, specifically failing to maintain the required minimum descent altitude and failing to correct the descent during the approach phase.