United States of America

Uncontrolled descent after the pilot failed to maintain flying speed due to physical impairment. The following factors were reported:
- Alcoholic impairment of efficiency and judgment,
- Icing conditions including sleet and freezing rain,
- Stolen aircraft or unauthorized flight,
- Fog,
- Missed visual approach to airport under ravec,
- Blood alcohol 2,52‰,
- Unauthorized use of aircraft,

Improper IFR operation on part of the pilot-in-command. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling, rain and fog,
- Visibility one mile or less,
- Descended below MDA in heavy rain until impact with trees.

Improper IFR operation on part of the pilot. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling and fog,
- Descended below MDA on VOR approach.

Inadequate preflight preparation on part of the pilot who failed to follow the approved procedures and to maintain flying speed. The following factors were reported:
- Improperly loaded aircraft,
- Fog,
- The aircraft was overloaded by approximately 441 pounds.

Improper IFR operation on part of the pilot who conducted improper or non-standard IFR approach for unknown reason.

Improper in-flight decisions on part of the pilot-in-command who exceeded the designed stress limits of the aircraft. The following factors were reported:
- Overload failure,
- Separation in flight,
- Low ceiling, fog and snow,
- Turbulences associated with clouds and thunderstorms,
- Began the descent to ILS approach too late,
- It is believed that the crew expedited the descent,
- The left wing, the left engine and the tail separated in flight.

Failure of the flight crew to monitor the flight instruments during the final 4 minutes of flight, and to detect an unexpected descent soon enough to prevent impact with the ground. Preoccupation with a malfunction of the nose landing gear position indicating system distracted the crew's attention from the instruments and allowed the descent to go unnoticed. The following findings were reported:
- There was no failure or malfunction of the structure, powerplants, systems, or components of the aircraft before impact, except that both bulbs in the nose landing gear position indicating system were burned out.
- The aircraft struck the ground in a 28' left bank with a high rate of sink.
- There was no fire until the integrity of the left wing fuel tanks was destroyed after the impact.
- The tumor in the cranial cavity of the captain did not contribute to the accident.
- The autopilot was utilized in basic CWS.
- The flight crew was unaware of the low force gradient input required to effect a change in aircraft attitude while in CWS.
- The company training program met the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration.
- The three flight crewmembers were preoccupied in an attempt to ascertain the position of the nose landing gear.
- The second officer, followed later by the jump seat occupant, went into the forward electronics bay to check the nose gear down position indices.
- The second officer was unable visually to determine the position of the nose gear.
- The flight crew did not hear the aural altitude alert which sounded as the aircraft descended through 1,750 feet msl.
- There were several manual thrust reductions during the final descent.
- The speed control system did not affect the reduction in thrust.
- The flight crew did not monitor the flight instruments during the final descent until seconds before impact.
- The captain failed to assure that a pilot was monitoring the progress of the aircraft at all times

The pilot failed to maintain flying speed, causing the aircraft to stall. The aircraft was apparently turning from base leg to final approach and was in a clean configuration.

Improper IFR operation on part of the crew. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling, fog and snow showers,
- Weather conditions considerably worse than forecast,
- Obscuration.