Aftermath: Failure to Land

Peter Garrison

Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 07:12 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An instrument-rated pilot died in a crash after exhausting fuel during multiple failed instrument approaches in worsening weather conditions.
The NTSB attributed the crash to the pilot's failure to land at equipped airports with adequate instrument approach procedures and his critical delay in declaring a fuel-related emergency.
The incident highlights the importance of timely emergency declarations and utilizing optimal approach procedures, such as available ILS with lower minimums, in challenging flight conditions.

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The 600-hour, instrument-rated pilot of a Piper Arrow left Georgia early on a Sunday afternoon for Delaware, where he was scheduled to perform a surgery the following day. The forecast weather at the destination and nearby airports was near minimums; the pilot filed Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) as his alternate.

As he approached his filed destination of Summit Airport (EVY) in Middletown, Delaware, he got a call from the Dover Air Force Base approach controller who was working him.