NTSB Factual Report

As the Beech A36 approached the destination airport at night, the pilot cancelled his instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. On final approach, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway environment when the airplane entered a "dense ground fog bank" approximately 100 feet above ground level and 1/4 mile from the runway threshold. The pilot was "blinded" by the reflection of the airplane's landing light in the fog, initiated a go-around, but the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain seconds later. The pilot stated that he obtained the current Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) report minutes prior to the accident, and the field was "within VFR parameters." The pilot was also aware of the possibility of ground fog. The meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) for the time of the accident included 1 mile visibility in fog, with vertical visibility of 100 feet. The METARs for the preceding 4 hours showed the visibility to be equal or less than 2 miles due to fog and mist.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather.