What happened
While returning to his home airport following a previous flight to drop off passengers, the pilot was conducting a straight-in approach to runway 1. Radar tracking and eyewitness accounts indicated the aircraft was in a landing configuration with a ground speed of roughly 120 knots. The final radar contact placed the aircraft at an altitude of about 150 feet above ground level, positioned approximately one-quarter mile from the runway threshold. Following the incident, the wreckage was located roughly half a mile east of the threshold.
At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing low-level wind shear, gusty winds, and moderate to severe turbulence. Weather radar also indicated the presence of light snow showers and a potential snow squall in the immediate vicinity. No flight plan or weather briefings had been submitted to Flight Service for either the current or the preceding leg of the flight.
Findings
An investigation of the wreckage showed no evidence of mechanical failure prior to the impact. The pilot was highly experienced, with 14,000 total flight hours, including 8,500 hours in multiengine aircraft and 4,100 hours of instrument training. Despite this experience, the aircraft encountered significant atmospheric instability during the final approach phase.