Accident Summary
On arrival at the destination, the pilot found the airport obscured by fog. The unicom reported visibility of one mile. The pilot circled to await improvement. Fifteen minutes later, visibility improved to one and one-half miles. The aircraft was briefly observed through breaks in the fog, then heard maneuvering to the north and seen once on an approximate downwind heading. Subsequently, the aircraft was heard approaching the airport before appearing in a diving left turn below the fog and to the right of the runway. The aircraft then impacted terrain. The aircraft was found configured for landing. Approved NDB/VOR/DME/RNAV approaches to the airport have a minimum ceiling of 700 feet. There was no record of a request for an instrument approach. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Circumstances
The pilot encountered fog upon arrival and conducted a circling hold while waiting for visibility to improve. After visibility increased to one and one-half miles, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft north of the airport. The aircraft was seen on a downwind heading and then heard approaching the field. It emerged from the fog in a diving left turn and struck the ground to the right of the runway. The aircraft was configured for landing, suggesting preparation for a landing approach. No instrument approach was requested, despite the low visibility conditions and the availability of approaches with minimum ceilings. The pilot did not select or initiate an instrument approach procedure.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as determined by the official investigation, includes two occurrences. Occurrence #1: In-flight encounter with weather during the approach (VFR pattern to final approach). Findings: improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, failure to select IFR procedure, initiation of VFR flight into IMC, and weather condition of fog. Occurrence #2: In-flight collision with terrain/water during maneuvering. Findings: proper alignment not attained, and clearance misjudged by the pilot.