Background
The flight was conducted under special VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions, which allow operations with a visibility of 1 mile and clear of clouds. The airport involved was the pilot's base of operations.
The Flight
While waiting for a special VFR clearance, the flight held outside the airport surface area for 26 minutes. During this holding period, the pilot was required to maintain an altitude of 500 feet above ground level and a visibility of 2 miles. At the time, the weather at the airport was reported as 300 feet overcast, with visibility decreasing from 4 miles to 1 mile in mist.
The pilot was relatively new to the area, having worked for the company for 24 days and accrued 69 hours of flight time during that period.
Collision
Four minutes after receiving clearance to enter the surface area for landing, the airplane collided with a 260-foot tall radio antenna tower at an altitude of 222 feet above ground level. The tower was located 3.85 nautical miles east of the airport.
Tower Details
The radio tower was not considered by the FAA to be an object affecting navigable airspace, but it was depicted as an obstruction on the VFR sectional chart for the area. The tower was equipped with obstruction lighting for night illumination and painted with alternating aviation orange and white for daytime marking.
Post-Collision Weather
One minute after the collision, the overcast was reported at 200 feet, and visibility was 5/8 mile.