What happened
While operating in instrument meteorological conditions at Burley Municipal Airport in Idaho, the pilot performed two RNAV (GPS) approaches to runway 20. During the initial approach, the pilot flew at speeds exceeding the operator's training standard of 120 knots and opted for a low pass to evaluate landing conditions. After determining the weather was acceptable, the pilot initiated a missed approach and prepared for a second attempt.
On the second approach, the pilot flew with the flaps retracted and reduced the approach speed. While the aircraft remained on the glide path through the stepdown fix, the final ADS-B data indicated the plane was approximately 0.6 nautical miles from the displaced threshold, traveling at roughly 85 knots. This speed was below the required 95-knot minimum for a flaps-up configuration in icing conditions. Shortly after this reading, the aircraft descended approximately 130 feet below the glide path and struck an agglomerate stack belonging to a potato processing plant. The impact caused fatal injuries to the pilot and significant damage to the aircraft type.
Security footage showed the plane in a nose-high, wings-level descent just before the collision. While the pilot may have attempted an evasive maneuver, the aircraft struck the stack, which was located directly beneath the instrument approach course.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the airframe and engine found no mechanical failures or structural icing that would have prevented normal flight. The aircraft was also within weight and center of gravity limits.
Several environmental and regulatory factors contributed to the accident:
- The lack of a visual glide slope indicator, as the VASI had been removed due to previous hazard studies.
- Low visual contrast between the industrial stacks and the environment, caused by the absence of the required high-visibility white and orange paint scheme.
- The presence of visible moisture and steam from nearby stacks, which obscured the structures.
- Although warning lights were installed on several nearby stacks, the status of the light on the impacted stack could not be verified because the light was stolen following the crash.