What happened
During a nighttime cargo operation originating from Dickinson, a twin engine airplane was performing an instrument approach to Bismarck Airport. While descending toward the airfield, the aircraft collided with power cables located several miles before the runway threshold. This impact caused the plane to lose altitude and subsequently crash into an open field. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe and left the pilot with serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors regarding the pilot's instrument flight rules (IFR) procedures. A primary contributing factor was the pilot's failure to adhere to approved approach protocols, specifically involving incorrect altimeter settings. Discrepancies were noted between the altimeter settings displayed in the cockpit, which were 30.89 and 30.13, and the actual transmitted pressure of 29.75.
Additional contributing elements included:
- The pilot's failure to properly monitor or correctly read flight instruments
- The presence of high obstructions along the approach path
- The pilot's lack of corrective vision due to not wearing glasses