20150204006929A

At 2105:40, when the flight was 8 miles from the final approach fix (nulux), the approach controller

Told the pilot to turn to a heading of 030 to intersect the final approach course, to maintain 2,500

Feet MSL until established on the final approach course, and that the flight was cleared for the GPS

Runway 36 approach. The pilot responded, "okay, 030 maintain 2.5 until established on the approach."

According to radar data, the flight turned to a north heading instead of the assigned heading of 030

Degrees.

At 2106:17, the approach controller told the pilot to contact the dto tower controller and the pilot

Replied with the correct frequency change. The flight continued due north until 2106:38, when it

Turned to a 030 degree course and subsequently descended through 2,500 feet MSL at 2107:01. At

2107:16, The pilot established communications with the dto tower controller. The tower controller told

The pilot that the surface wind was 360 degrees at 19 knots with 25 knot gusts, and then cleared the

Flight to land on runway 36. The tower controller also asked the pilot if he had received the pilot

Report (PIREP) that had been issued by the proceeding Cessna 172. The pilot confirmed that he had

Received the PIREP from the approach controller. According to radar data, the airplane continued to

Descend as it intersected the final approach course and continued northbound toward nulux.

At 2108:44, the automated air traffic control system issued a low altitude alert for the accident

Flight. The system presented the low altitude alert on both the control tower and the approach control

Radar displays. According to radar data, at the time of the low altitude alert, the airplane had

Descended to about 1,500 feet MSL. At 2108:51, the tower controller told the pilot to "... Check your

Altitude, you are still a couple of miles from the marker (nulux), and uh believe your altitude should

Be about 2,100 there." The pilot replied, "okay, going back up." According to radar data, following

The altitude alert, the airplane continued to descend until the final radar return, recorded at

2109:11, About 2.5 miles south of nulux at 1,000 feet MSL (about 300 feet above the ground). At

2109:12, The tower controller transmitted again that the airplane was lower than the specified minimum

Descent altitude (2,000 feet MSL) for that segment of the instrument approach. There was no response

From the accident pilot.

According to preliminary airplane performance calculations, based on available radar data, during the

Time period 2106:43 to 2108:43, the airplane's ground speed decreased from about 145 knots to 95 knots

And the airplane descended from 2,400 feet MSL to 1,500 feet MSL. During the final 28 seconds of radar

Data, the airplane's ground speed further decreased from 95 knots to 55 knots, while the descent rate

Decreased from 1,300 feet per minute to 650 feet per minute.

The flight path of the accident airplane was captured by a security video camera installed on the

Exterior of a building that was located about 1/2 mile southeast of the accident site. The video

Camera, which was facing west, captured the accident airplane's wingtip navigation and strobe lights

As it crossed from left to right at the upper portion of the camera's field of view. According to a

Preliminary review of the camera footage, the airplane entered the camera's field of view at 2108:48

And appeared to be in a wings level descent as it continued across the first half of the camera's

Lateral field of view. At 2109:00, the descent angle increased substantially before the airplane

Entered a near-vertical spiraling descent. The airplane's navigational lights and strobes were not

Visible after 2109:0 see NTSB report for further details