What happened
A commercial certificated pilot was operating a scheduled visual flight rules (VFR) flight to a remote village. During the final approach phase for landing, the pilot reported that the aircraft appeared to be traveling at a slow airspeed. In an attempt to compensate, the pilot added power; however, the airplane stalled approximately 15 feet above the ground.
Upon impact, the main landing gear struck a berm located at the approach end of the runway. The resulting forces caused the right main landing gear to be sheared off and resulted in a fractured axle on the left main gear. Additionally, the right wing tip sustained damage, which led to fuel leaking from the right auxiliary fuel tank. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft was conducted following the accident. The director of operations for the company, who traveled to the site after the event, noted that he had encountered isolated snow showers while en route. During his inspection of the aircraft, he observed a trace of ice on the airplane elevator.
According to the Pilot/Operator report submitted by the operator, the pilot reported flying through a large shower which resulted in the collection of ice on the airplane. The pilot indicated that the airspeed was 70 knots during the approach and that the aircraft had been performing normally until the sudden loss of altitude occurred.