At 1836 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-140 struck terrain while on approach to Tehachapi Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight departed Long Beach for Redding, but diverted to Tehachapi due to weather en route and at Redding. The pilot stated that he was approaching the airport on the extended centerline on a long final. He noticed a red light between his airplane and the runway and thought it was another airplane. He followed the light to the airport. As he got closer, he saw that the red light marked terrain and he immediately made a sharp, right, climbing turn to avoid contact. However, the airplane impacted the mountain and came to rest inverted on the other side.
January 31, Tehachapi, Calif. / Piper Cherokee 140
At 1836 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-140 struck terrain while on approach to Tehachapi Municipal Airport. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight departed Long Beach for Redding, but diverted to Tehachapi due to weather en route and at Redding. The pilot stated that he was approaching the airport on the extended centerline on a long final. He noticed a red light between his airplane and the runway and thought it was another airplane. He followed the light to the airport. As he got closer, he saw that the red light marked terrain and he immediately made a sharp, right, climbing turn to avoid contact. However, the airplane impacted the mountain and came to rest inverted on...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-28-140 crashed while on approach to Tehachapi Municipal Airport after diverting due to weather, resulting in minor injuries to the pilot and passenger.
- The pilot mistook a red terrain marker light for another aircraft and followed it towards the airport.
- Realizing the error, the pilot attempted an evasive maneuver but impacted the mountain, causing the airplane to come to rest inverted.
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