What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Just before sunrise pilot attempted VFR approach and landing at rwl. The pilot descended the a/c into imc-fog within two miles of the airport, striking the top of at least one 50 ft pine tree less than one mile from the runway threshold. The a/c continued straight ahead another 800 feet and struck two power lines less than 30 feet above the ground, cutting both lines in two and shearing off the outboard two feet of the right wing tip. The a/c then impacted the ground several hundred feet past the power lines on all three landing gear simultaneously, shearing off the landing gear. The remaining structure came to rest 1/2 mile from the runway threshold almost completely intact but substantially damaged. (.4)the pilot received a weather briefing and was advised en route, destination airport weather was unavailable. The pilot cancelled the IFR clearance after she observed runway and approach lights and also buildings to the left of the runway. She noted that the flight was high and began to descend. With the localizer frequency set, she noted the aircraft was left of course. After glancing at the loran to confirm distance, the airplane collided WI th trees, power lines then the ground and came to rest about .4 nautical mile from the approach end of the runway that is equipped with a PAPI lights. The pilot reported there were no mechanical or navigational malfunctions. A sheriff deputy arriving 15 minutes after the accident reported it was, 'extremely foggy with low visibility.' The pilot did not have two-way radio communications with any person on the ground at the airport and there was no reported visibility at the airport at the time of the accident contrary to procedures specified in the operator's operations specifications. The uncommisioned ASOS on the field reported the visibility at 0453 and 0553 to be 1/4 mile with fog and a vertical visibility of 100 feet.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) JUST BEFORE SUNRISE PILOT ATTEMPTED VFR APPROACH AND LANDING AT RWL. THE PILOT DESCENDED THE A/C INTO IMC-FOG WITHIN TWO MILES OF THE AIRPORT, STRIKING THE TOP OF AT LEAST ONE 50 FT PINE TREE LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE A/C CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD ANOTHER 800 FEET AND STRUCK TWO POWER LINES LESS THAN 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, CUTTING BOTH LINES IN TWO AND SHEARING OFF THE OUTBOARD TWO FEET OF THE RIGHT WING TIP. THE A/C THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET PAST THE POWER LINES ON ALL THREE LANDING GEAR SIMULTANEOUSLY, SHEARING OFF THE LANDING GEAR. THE REMAINING STRUCTURE CAME TO REST 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ALMOST COMPLETELY INTACT BUT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. (.4)THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS ADVISED EN ROUTE, DESTINATION AIRPORT WEATHER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE PILOT CANCELLED THE IFR CLEARANCE AFTER SHE OBSERVED RUNWAY AND APPROACH LIGHTS AND ALSO BUILDINGS TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. SHE NOTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS HIGH AND BEGAN TO DESCEND. WITH THE LOCALIZER FREQUENCY SET, SHE NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEFT OF COURSE. AFTER GLANCING AT THE LORAN TO CONFIRM DISTANCE, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WI TH TREES, POWER LINES THEN THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST ABOUT .4 NAUTICAL MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY THAT IS EQUIPPED WITH A PAPI LIGHTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL OR NAVIGATIONAL MALFUNCTIONS. A SHERIFF DEPUTY ARRIVING 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED IT WAS, 'EXTREMELY FOGGY WITH LOW VISIBILITY.' THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH ANY PERSON ON THE GROUND AT THE AIRPORT AND THERE WAS NO REPORTED VISIBILITY AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT CONTRARY TO PROCEDURES SPECIFIED IN THE OPERATOR'S OPERATIONS SPECIFICATIONS. THE UNCOMMISIONED ASOS ON THE FIELD REPORTED THE VISIBILITY AT 0453 AND 0553 TO BE 1/4 MILE WITH FOG AND A VERTICAL VISIBILITY OF 100 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.