What happened
During a localizer back course approach to Runway 27, the aircraft collided with four electronic transmission cables. The cables were located 75 feet above ground level (AGL), approximately 7,000 feet short of the runway. Following the collision, the crew executed a missed approach and subsequently landed without further incident in Salina, KS.
Findings
The investigation revealed several contributing factors regarding flight planning and execution. The crew had not adequately reviewed the approach charts prior to the flight. During the descent, the first officer misidentified lights on the ground, which led to a subsequent misidentification by the captain.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) also contributed to the event by failing to provide accurate weather information to the crew and failing to vector the aircraft to join the localizer outside of the final approach fix. Additionally, an FAA inspector performing an en route inspection did not notify the crew of errors being made during the planning and execution of the approach. Finally, the crew failed to execute a missed approach despite encountering a full-scale localizer deflection inside the final approach fix.