What happened
While performing an outbound procedure turn, the crew of the aircraft reported mechanical difficulties regarding the extension of the landing gear. During radio communications, the pilot indicated that the crew was attempting to manage the gear extension while simultaneously executing the turn back toward the airport. Although one pilot reported seeing three green lights, suggesting the gear might be down, the aircraft's flight path became highly irregular.
Radar tracking revealed that the aircraft crossed the localizer at nearly a 90-degree angle. After an initial right turn to intercept the localizer, the aircraft performed a left turn away from the signal, moving toward the site of the accident. Radar plots documented significant fluctuations in altitude and airspeed during this period. The aircraft's altitude varied between 8,400 feet and 10,200 feet, while ground speeds fluctuated wildly from as low as 20 knots to 152 knots. This sequence of maneuvers ended near the accident location.
Findings
Post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that the landing gear actuators were in the extended position, and the landing gear control switch was set to the down position. Additionally, the emergency gear extension knob had been pulled to its full travel limit. The investigation also noted that the wing flap jackscrews were in the retracted position. At the time of the event, the area surrounding the airport was characterized by reduced visibility and cloud cover.