At 1105 Pacific time, a Piper PA-44-180 struck the ground during an instrument departure from Livermore Municipal Airport. The flight instructor and instrument-rated student were not injured. The flight departed on a standard instrument departure and were cleared to 4,000 feet. The instructor said they then responded to a call to maintain 2,000 feet, and continued with the SID. While intersecting the OAK 060 radial, the instructor saw terrain through the clouds and took evasive action. They struck something, but the airplane was still controllable so they proceeded to their destination of Sacramento Executive Airport. A review of the tapes of radio calls found that the pilots apparently thought the 2,000-foot clearance was meant for them, but it was directed at another aircraft in another sector being worked by the same controller.
May 30, Livermore, Calif. / Piper Seminole
At 1105 Pacific time, a Piper PA-44-180 struck the ground during an instrument departure from Livermore Municipal Airport. The flight instructor and instrument-rated student were not injured. The flight departed on a standard instrument departure and were cleared to 4,000 feet. The instructor said they then responded to a call to maintain 2,000 feet, and continued with the SID. While intersecting the OAK 060 radial, the instructor saw terrain through the clouds and took evasive action. They struck something, but the airplane was still controllable so they proceeded to their destination of Sacramento Executive Airport. A review of the tapes of radio calls found that the pilots apparently thou...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-44-180 carrying an instructor and student struck the ground during an instrument departure from Livermore Municipal Airport, though the aircraft remained controllable and occupants were uninjured.
- The incident was caused by the pilots mistakenly believing an air traffic control clearance to maintain 2,000 feet, intended for another aircraft, was directed at them.
- This misinterpretation led to an unsafe descent during their standard instrument departure, prompting evasive action upon seeing terrain and resulting in the aircraft hitting something.
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