20231216018069A

Following departure from mmv, the airplane was flown to Independence State Airport (7S5), approximately 23 miles south. The airplane entered 7S5 pattern on the downwind at 1125’, 95 knots. Local pilots listening on the ctaf/unicom 122.975 heard UNICOM transmissions and clicks in an apparent attempt to turn on the uncontrolled airport rwy lights. The approach was unstabilized due to overshooting the rwy centerline and an irregular traffic pattern. The aircraft continued to descend in a left-hand dog leg turn before returning to a northly heading, parallel to rwy 34. The aircraft struck a wooden power pole at about 66’ altitude with red obstruction lighting directly on the propeller nose cone approximately 3’ from the top of the pole. The last reported altitude was 475’ at 62 KTS with a radar track directly lined up with the power pole. The power pole was about 187 yards west of the rwy. The impact resulted in the engine departing the airframe and continuing forward with a 3’ section of the power pole for approximately 50 yards into an open field. The airframe then struck the power pole causing an approximately 10’ section to break off. The airplane impacted the ground inverted approximately 20 yards from the power pole base with the broken pole section coming to rest adjacent to the fuselage. A 1’’ power line with its associated insulator was embedded into the cockpit across the instrument panel area. Upon impact the airplane caught fire and burned for approximately 2 hours before power could be shut off to the remaining wires and access allowed for first responders. The fuselage aft of the firewall, inboard of the wings and forward of the empennage burned to ash before the fire could be extinguished. Three deceased occupants were recovered but identification was not possible.