Plane stuck in transmission tower - photos

[Jon]

I had a look at the preliminary NTSB report for this accident (the full report can take up to two years to be published).

It looks like the pilot was "scud running": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scud_running . This means that he was lowering his altitude in an attempt to gain visibility by flying beneath cloud coverage to use the ground as a visual reference.

When I learned to fly, scud running was repeatedly drilled into my head as a notoriously dangerous hotshot maneuver. See the pilot's statement below, that corroborates this practice. Details:

• N201RF 1977 Mooney M20J
• NTSB Accident #ERA23LA071
• Private pilot with single engine land and IFR certificates, and 1,432 logged flight hours
• Overcast ceiling at 200 feet above ground level; visibility 0.25 miles
• Pilot repeatedly ignored ATC directions
• Both pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries
• Pilot stated: "I got down a little lower than I should have… I thought I was closer to the airport than I was…We could see the ground, but we couldn't see in front."
• Pilot expressed concern about the functionality of his altimeter, but an NTSB inspection confirmed that it was working correctly:
  

  A calibrated altimeter test instrument was installed by an airframe and powerplant mechanic
  with inspection authority under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. Functionality testing
  was performed at the as-found setting of 29.40 in the altimeter’s Kollsman window, then 29.92,
  and finally a Barometric Scale Error Test was performed through a range of 28.10 and 30.99.
  According to the test report, the altimeter was "well within the test allowable error at all
  ranges."

Analysis:

Mainstream media report with 911 call details:

ATC audio overlaid with flight path:

Full rescue: