What happened
During a night flight at a non-towered airport, a pilot was executing a VFR traffic pattern in a turboprop aircraft. The flight began on an extended downwind leg at 6,800 feet, with radar tracking a ground speed of 205 knots. As the aircraft progressed 3 nautical miles along the downwind leg, the ground speed decreased to 171 knots, while the aircraft lost roughly 500 feet of altitude and drifted closer to the runway centerline. Witnesses reported that radio communications remained normal until they observed a bright blue flash, after which all contact with the aircraft was lost.
Following the incident, search efforts were hampered by darkness. A police helicopter eventually located the wreckage approximately two hours later. Investigators discovered a broken static wire from a nearby power transmission system at the crash site, situated 8,266.5 feet from the runway threshold and 30 feet above the threshold level. Post-accident inspections of the engine and airframe showed no mechanical failures that would have prevented the aircraft from operating normally.
Findings
Data analysis revealed significant deviations from established flight procedures. While the pilot had recently undergone factory-approved training emphasizing a stabilized approach with specific speed and bank angle limits, the aircraft's performance during the base-to-final turn was highly unstable. Radar data showed a descent rate of 1,800 to 1,900 feet per minute and a bank angle exceeding 70 degrees. The investigation concluded that the aircraft struck the downed power line during this high-performance maneuver.