Winter Airplane Accidents

Investigators also found that there was an absence of radar returns for the aircraft as it moved over the airfield, suggesting that it was below radar, which is only 500 feet AGL here. The wreckage imprint on the trees suggested a shallow descent angle. This suggested the pilot was hunting close to the ground trying to acquire the runway visually. Unfortunately, he was already past the airport.

Tim Vasquez

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots must be aware of the limitations of automated weather systems, which can provide an optimistically misleading picture, and resist the temptation to push limits due to fatigue or schedule pressures, especially in low-visibility conditions.
Relying on delayed or incomplete datalink weather (e.g., tablet-based radar) for tactical avoidance of rapidly evolving hazards like heavy precipitation or icing is dangerous, as conditions can change quickly and systems may have data gaps.
Even aircraft equipped with anti-icing systems can be overwhelmed by ice accumulation when exposed for extended periods, and this risk is severely compounded by other issues such as engine malfunction or airspeed decay, underscoring the need for vigilance and robust exit strategies in adverse weather.

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In the August issue of IFR, we reviewed some accidents by experienced IFR-rated pilots looking for some traps and mistakes to avoid. Now that winter flying is upon us, we’ll focus on some of this season’s hazards.

Michigan, December 2014

On Christmas Eve 2014 shortly after 12:30 pm, a PA-34 crashed while attempting to land at Port Huron Airport. The pilot was a 52-year old Ontario man with 240 hours of single-engine time and 387 hours of multi-engine time, including instruction. The plane was operating under an IFR flight plan, inbound from Richmond, Virginia, and the pilot, the sole occupant, died in the crash.