Pilot Proficiency

On the Record: Piper PA-24

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 06:27 PM ET

Verified

NTSB Seal NTSB

Key Takeaways:

A Piper PA-24 crashed during an instrument approach in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) after the pilot lost situational awareness and failed to execute a timely missed approach.
Upon attempting to climb after being unable to visually acquire the runway at decision altitude, the aircraft's right wing struck a light pole, causing it to pitch nose-down and impact terrain.
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions and attributed the accident to his failure to immediately initiate a missed approach, which was also identified as the probable cause.

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Piper PA-24

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