What happened
While performing a night approach toward the runway threshold at Iron Mountain Airport, a twin engine airplane impacted treetops in a forested area. The impact occurred several hundred yards before reaching the airport runway. The aircraft was completely destroyed during the collision. There was only one person on board the aircraft, and the pilot was killed in the accident.
Findings
The investigation into the crash identified that the aircraft had descended beneath its minimum descent altitude (MDA) during the approach. Several contributing elements were noted in the official report:
- The flight crew descended below the authorized clearance limit of 3,000 feet.
- There were significant obstructions present in the form of high trees.
- There was evidence suggesting that instruments may have been misread or had failed to provide accurate readings during the approach phase.