What happened
During an instrument approach using a Localizer Directional Aid (LDA), an air traffic controller identified via radar that the aircraft was 600 feet below the required altitude after passing the outer marker. The controller issued a low altitude alert and provided instructions regarding the minimum descent altitude of 440 feet and the necessary missed approach procedures. Although the pilot indicated the airport was in sight and acknowledged landing instructions, the controller later ordered a missed approach because the radar track indicated the aircraft had drifted off course. The pilot requested to land by circling toward a cross runway, but the controller denied this, stating it was not an authorized procedure for the LDA approach, and reiterated the instruction to execute the missed approach.
Witnesses near the airport observed the aircraft flying overhead at a low altitude. One observer noted the plane was approximately 50 feet above a storage container before the aircraft entered a nose-down and left-wing-down attitude, leading to ground impact. Another witness reported hearing the engine increase in power and observing a left-wing stall immediately before the crash.
All three fatalities occurred during the event, including the pilot and two passengers; a 12-year-old passenger sustained serious injuries and passed away several hours after the accident.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the airframe, engine, and propeller showed no mechanical failures that would have prevented standard operation. Evidence within the engine and propeller suggested the engine was producing significant power at the moment of impact. Weather conditions at the time consisted of light rain and mist, but no adverse meteorological phenomena were identified. The investigation determined that the aircraft experienced a wing stall during the maneuver.