What happened
During the final approach phase to runway 09 at Pontiac-Oakland County Airport, a twin engine airplane encountered extremely degraded visibility caused by fog and a low cloud ceiling. While flying on final approach, the aircraft collided with two approach light towers, which stood approximately 2,400 feet and 2,200 feet from the runway threshold. The impact with these 40-foot structures caused the aircraft to lose altitude and subsequently crash. The resulting impact led to a post-crash fire that consumed the wreckage. There were three fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several environmental and operational factors. The primary cause was determined to be the collision with approach light poles during an improper IFR operation. Contributing elements included:
- Extremely low visibility conditions caused by fog
- A low cloud ceiling
- Weather conditions that had fallen below established flight minimums