What happened
A certificated private pilot, accompanied by one passenger, was performing a southbound departure from an airport under special VFR conditions. Approximately two minutes after takeoff, the aircraft collided with a commercial radio antenna tower located 4.3 nautical miles south of the departure airport. The tower stood 335 feet tall and was situated at an elevation of approximately 395 feet above sea level.
At the time of the accident, the weather conditions at the airport were reported as special VFR; however, witnesses noted that visibility and weather conditions to the south, specifically in the direction of the accident site, were momentarily significantly worse than those reported at the departure airport.
The tower, which had been installed in 1986, was marked with an alternating aviation orange and aviation white pattern and was depicted as an obstruction on the local VFR aviation sectional chart. The structure featured a large flashing red light at the top and two sets of red light fixtures at the 110-foot and 220-foot levels. While one lamp in the lower fixture set was non-operational and awaiting replacement, the second lamp in that set remained functional. The tower's lighting system utilized a photocell to automate light activation based on ambient light levels, but at the time of the collision, the lights were configured to remain in the "ON" position 24 hours a day. The accident occurred during daylight hours, and the antenna was found to be in compliance with all FAA obstruction standards and FCC regulations regarding marking and lighting.