Incident Summary
A pilot flying a retractable landing gear-equipped airplane under instrument flight rules at night reported an accident during an approach in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage after impacting terrain short of the runway.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, during the approach, he observed rime ice accumulating on the left wing. He continued the approach, extended the landing gear, and configured the flaps for landing. While attempting to level off at 1,620 feet (the minimum descent altitude was 1,600 feet), the airplane stalled. The pilot applied forward pressure on the yoke to lower the nose and advanced the throttle to full power. He noted that the airplane was extremely slow to respond, describing it as "flying on the ragged edge of stall." The airplane exited the clouds, allowing the pilot to see the airport, but it subsequently struck terrain in a field approximately 2.4 nautical miles short of the runway.
Aircraft Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Relevant Limitations
The manufacturer's pilot operating handbook, in the limitations section on page 2-1, contains a warning: "FLIGHT IN ICING CONDITIONS IS PROHIBITED." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.