At 19:42 Pacific time, a Piper PA-34-200 crashed while executing the VOR missed approach procedure to Brackett Field Airport. The CFI and multi student were killed. IMC prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The approach controller handed off the flight to the tower controller, who asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight. The pilot reported the airport in sight but said he did not want to cancel IFR. The tower controller told the approach controller the pilot had the airport and wanted to cancel IFR. One minute later, the pilot reported the airport was not in sight. The pilot had passed the airport and was to the west, so the tower controller gave him vectors to return for another try and told him to maintain VFR. At that point, the pilot said he would execute the missed approach and later said he was flying. He was instructed to turn to a southerly heading and climb to 5,000 feet. The pilot said he was flying a heading of 150 to return to the VOR. The wreckage was later found about 3.5 miles north of the airport.
Oct. 6, San Dimas, Calif. / Piper Seneca
At 19:42 Pacific time, a Piper PA-34-200 crashed while executing the VOR missed approach procedure to Brackett Field Airport. The CFI and multi student were killed. IMC prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The approach controller handed off the flight to the tower controller, who asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight. The pilot reported the airport in sight but said he did not want to cancel IFR. The tower controller told the approach controller the pilot had the airport and wanted to cancel IFR. One minute later, the pilot reported the airport was not in sight. The pilot had passed the airport and was to the west, so the tower controller gave him vectors to return for anothe...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-34-200 crashed fatally while executing a VOR missed approach to Brackett Field Airport in IMC conditions, killing the CFI and multi student.
- The incident was marked by significant miscommunication and confusion between the pilot and air traffic control regarding airport visibility and the pilot's intentions (e.g., reporting airport in sight then not in sight, stating intent for missed approach after VFR instruction).
- The pilot's conflicting reports and the ultimate crash site 3.5 miles north of the airport suggest a severe loss of situational awareness and control during the complex maneuver.
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