What happened
During a business flight operating under instrument meteorological conditions at night, an aircraft carrying a pilot and six passengers descended below the required minimum descent altitude (MDA) of 2,480 feet mean sea level. While approximately two miles from the destination airport and at an altitude of roughly 2,070 feet mean sea level, the airplane struck a utility pole located only 10 feet above the ground. The collision caused debris from the pole to be scattered across a snow-covered field for approximately 200 feet.
Following the impact, the pilot performed a missed approach. The aircraft was successfully landed at a different airport about 40 minutes later without further complications. Post-accident inspections of the aircraft revealed significant damage to the upper and lower fuselage, the nose structure, and the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that he believed the aircraft had leveled off above the MDA and reported that no alerts were triggered by the radar altimeter system during the descent. Additionally, the pilot noted that he did not observe the terrain, runway lights, or any obstructions during the approach.
Findings
Investigations into the aircraft's mechanical systems, including the static system, altimeters, vertical speed indicators, and the radar altimeter, found no evidence of malfunctions that would have prevented standard operation. While it remains unclear why the radar altimeter failed to alert the pilot as the aircraft approached 10 feet above the ground, the radar data confirmed the aircraft had descended below the established MDA. Although the pilot's second-class medical certificate had expired and contained restrictions regarding night flying, there was no evidence to suggest these specific limitations contributed to the accident.