King Air C90 E90
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Engineer
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 128; Flight Crew Total 26500; Flight Crew Type 3243
Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Object; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Weather
I departed with 2200 pounds of fuel. I was cleared to 17;000 feet. Enroute; about 25 minutes airborne; I had the right low fuel pressure light come on. I followed the procedure to see if the light would go out. It went out and then came on dim for the remainder of the flight. All gauges were normal and no indication that the engine was affected in its performance. On our descent there was another aircraft on the approach. I talked with him on Unicom after he had landed and he reported the weather was at minimums; but OK. I elected to make the approach. Over the final approach fix at 2300 feet; I configured the aircraft for landing. We arrived at the MDA which was 800 feet. The autopilot was activated and I was monitoring outside for visual clues and scanning the instruments as well. After about 20 seconds I started seeing ground and about 3/4th of a mile forward visibility.I started a slow descent looking for the runway and that was when the aircraft apparently struck the top of what I thought to be a tree branch. I immediately executed a go-around and once I was at a safe altitude; I started to assess what had happened; what was working and my next plan. Both engines were running [so I] raised the gear. Once airspeed allowed I raise the flaps to 0. I knew that [a nearby alternate] was VFR so I did a quick calculation and determined that I had enough fuel to go [there]. My airspeed indicator was inoperative and both navigation radios and communication radios were inoperative. I climbed to 7000 feet enroute. I could see damage on the right wing. I landed with light gun signals from the tower.
BE90 pilot reported diverting to a VFR alternate after incurring aircraft damage when he struck a tree on an IFR approach while descending below the MDA without the runway environment in sight.