[t0mas88]

The Metroliner isn't really a small (private) aircraft, it's more a commuter type aircraft, 19 seats. But in this case it was only carrying cargo so the place of impact didn't have any people in it.

Another lucky point is that it was at low altitude and at slow speed (preparing to land). Higher up it would have been much more likely to break up due to way higher speed and larger pressure difference between the cabin and outside.

[mannykannot]

Other inches-from-death aspects: there was no-one in the aft of the cabin; the collision missed the pilot; it missed the empennage; it missed the wings; it missed the control cables; and possibly (I'm speculating wildly here) it left the cabin floor intact, without which, I doubt the tail would have stayed on.