Night IFR Approach Collision with Trees at Putnam County Airport (N409E)

Incident Overview and Approach Details During an instrument flight rules (IFR) arrival at night, the pilot was cleared for the VOR runway 27 approach to Putnam County Airport. The published minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the approach was 1,200 feet mean sea level (MSL), or 437 feet above ground level (AGL). Witnesses described the weather as foggy with drizzle and one mile visibility. ## Impact and Post-Impact Findings During the approach, the airplane struck trees that were about 60 feet tall and located 1.5 miles east-southeast of the airport. An examination revealed that initial impact occurred with treetops on a heading of 315 degrees in a wings attitude. No preimpact part failure was found. A mark on the airspeed gauge indicated it was at the 140-knot position during impact. Both propeller blades had chordwise scratch marks and S-bending at the tips. ## Operational Context and Pilot Background The surrounding terrain at the airport was flat and sparsely populated. The aircraft was based at the airport, and the pilot had flown in the local area for several years. No records were found to determine the pilot's instrument flight or night flight proficiency.