The pilot, 65, had 33,000 hours. He had retired six years earlier as a 777 captain after a 36-year career in airline flying. He was a CFI-I and ATP with ratings in a slew of Boeing and Lockheed types, and was an air-frame and power-plant mechanic to boot.
Aftermath: Scud Run
Key Takeaways:
- An exceptionally experienced pilot, despite earlier caution in diverting due to adverse weather, subsequently attempted a VFR flight through a treacherous, cloud-filled mountain pass.
- He flew at dangerously low altitudes, at times entering clouds, and only sought IFR clearance when his situation had become critical, ultimately crashing into an isolated peak while attempting to avoid a rain cell.
- The accident highlights how a series of incremental decisions made in progressively deteriorating conditions can lead even highly qualified pilots into fatal controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
