On April 26, 1996, a Socata TBM-700 (registration JA8896) operated by Nozaki Sangyo was involved in an aviation accident near Kushiro, Japan during landing or approach. 6 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck approach lighting or ILS equipment due to an insufficient altitude during a low-visibility approach. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 9 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft crashed short of the runway at Kushiro Airport following a collision with approach equipment during heavy fog.
What happened
During an approach to Kushiro Airport, a single-engine aircraft encountered significantly reduced visibility caused by dense fog. While on final approach, the aircraft descended too low and struck components of the Instrument Landing System (ILS). The impact occurred approximately 200 metres before the threshold of runway 17.
Following the collision, the aircraft caught fire. The resulting post-crash fire led to the total destruction of the airframe. There were six fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was poor visibility due to foggy weather conditions.
The aircraft's flight path was too low during the final stage of the approach, leading to the collision with ground-based navigation infrastructure.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck approach lighting or ILS equipment due to an insufficient altitude during a low-visibility approach.