Aftermath: The Audacity of Hope

Peter Garrison

Friday, September 30, 2011 at 07:24 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot, eager to reach his destination, decided to fly into severe instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and potential icing, despite a thorough pre-flight briefing highlighting these hazards.
During the ILS approach, the aircraft encountered significant, unreported icing and strong crosswinds, causing it to drift substantially left of the localizer.
The pilot delayed descent and declined a suggested go-around, exhibiting increasing disorientation and difficulty controlling the aircraft as conditions worsened.
Ultimately, the ice-laden and disoriented aircraft stalled and crashed, underscoring the critical importance of conservative decision-making, acknowledging aircraft limitations, and recognizing one's own capabilities in hazardous weather.

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(September 2011) It was the Friday before Christmas, and the pilot-owner of a Piper Saratoga was eager to get home for a party. At 2:30 in the afternoon he called Flight Service to brief a flight from College Park, Maryland, to Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) in Ohio, 240 nm distant. He said he hoped to take off as early as 3, and so the briefer asked whether he wanted a full standard briefing or just the highlights.

“I don’t want to waste your time,” said the pilot, transferring to the briefer a concern that was more likely his own. “Let’s figure out if this sounds like a suicide mission or not, and then we’ll go from there.”