What happened
While attempting to maneuver for landing amidst unfavorable weather conditions, the aircraft collided with a 150-foot radio tower. Following the impact, the flight crew experienced significant difficulty maintaining control of the plane, which necessitated performing a wheels-up forced landing.
The aircraft was carrying two crew members, two passengers, and various cargo. During the impact and subsequent landing, several drums containing automotive gasoline became unsecured and shifted within the cabin. This movement caused structural damage and physically obstructed the passengers' path to safety. The occupants were only able to exit the vessel via the cockpit escape hatch after the heavy cargo was relocated.
The incident resulted in two serious injuries, involving the pilot-in-command and one passenger.
Findings
Investigations by the Canadian Aviation Safety Board revealed that the crew began their flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) based on forecasts that predicted favorable conditions. However, weather conditions worsened during the flight to levels below VFR requirements.
As the pilot attempted to navigate using automatic direction finding equipment while trying to maintain visual contact with the ground, the aircraft was operated at a low altitude, leading to the collision with the tower. Furthermore, it was determined that the cargo was not properly secured according to the standards required by the operator's certificate. It was also noted that the injuries sustained by the passenger could have been less severe if a shoulder harness had been utilized.