Accident Overview
The aircraft was conducting a night instrument training flight in actual instrument meteorological conditions. On board were a flight instructor, a private pilot-rated student, and a private pilot-rated passenger. The flight was cleared for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 09, with an assigned altitude of 1,800 feet to be maintained until established on the approach. The pilot read back the altitude incorrectly as 1,200 feet, and the controller did not correct the error.
Flight Sequence
Radar service was terminated, and the pilot was cleared to change frequencies. The pilot indicated an intention to make a full stop landing. No further transmissions were received from the airplane. According to the passenger, the flight instructor had taken control of the airplane due to poor visibility; the passenger stated that "there was no visibility." The passenger recalled that just before impact, the vertical speed indicator (VSI) was showing a descent rate exceeding 500 feet per minute.
Radar Data
Radar data showed the airplane tracking the ILS course. The airplane crossed the outer marker at a mode C altitude of about 1,300 feet, corresponding to approximately 1,200 feet when corrected for the local altimeter setting. This was below the 1,800-foot glideslope intercept altitude at the outer marker depicted on the approach plate. The airplane maintained an altitude of about 1,300 feet for 49 seconds before beginning a descent. The last radar return, recorded 1 minute 27 seconds later, showed the airplane at a mode C altitude of 400 feet (300 feet corrected), approximately 1/4 mile west of the accident site.
Accident Location and Impact
The accident occurred approximately 1/2 nautical mile west of the threshold of runway 09. The airplane was about 300 feet left of the extended runway centerline when it initially struck trees and then power lines approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl). The decision height for the ILS approach was 223 feet mean sea level (msl), or 200 feet agl.
Weather and Conditions
Reported weather at the airport near the time of the accident included an overcast ceiling at 100 feet, surface visibility of 5 statute miles in mist, and surface wind from the west at 7 knots.
Post-Accident Examination
Two days after the accident, the FAA flight-checked the ILS approach and found that the localizer, glide slope, distance measuring equipment, locator outer marker, and middle marker all performed satisfactorily. Examination of the airframe, engine, avionics, and instruments revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented successful completion of the approach.
Probable Cause
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