AT 2346 CDT, KANSAS CITY CENTER PROVIDED THE 2251 CDT SPRINGFIELD WX & ADVSED THE PLT TO EXPECT VECTORS FOR AN APCH TO RWY 1. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED UNTIL 0006;50 CDT, WHEN CENTER ADVISED THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, 3 MI SOUTH OF THE OUTER MARKER COMPASS LOCATOR. THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR THE APCH & WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT SPRINGFIELD RADIO. AT 0008:21 CDT, THE PLT CALLED SPRINGFIELD FSS & ADVISED THAT HE WAS ON THE APLH, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE OUTER MARKER. THE FSS ADVISED THAT THE COMPASS LOCATOR, GLIDE SLOPE & LOCALIZER WERE MONITORING NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT HIT THE TOPS OF TREES & CRASHED, APRX 1200 FT WEST OF THE APCH END OF RWY 1. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE WX HAD DETECIORATED VERY RAPIDLY FROM THE TIME THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR THE APCH TO THE TME OF THE ACCIDENT. A RENTAL SLIP SHOWED THAT THE ADF & MARKER BEACON WERE NOP ON 9/29/83, BUT NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF EITHER BEING REPAIRED. A SPECIAL WXBULLETIN WAS RECEIVED AT THE FSS, BUT THE SPECIALIST DID NOT HEAR THE WARNING BUZZER. THE PLT WAS ON DUTY NEARLY 15 HRS.