NTSB: Plane that hit tower flew below minimum altitude

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) — A small plane that crashed into a Maryland electricity transmission tower last month was flying below minimum altitudes while approaching an airport in foggy nighttime conditions, according to a preliminary report on the crash.

The pilot and passenger were seriously injured and the Mooney M20J was substantially damaged when it hit a tower supporting high-tension lines on Nov. 27, knocking out power to tens of thousands of area customers. The plane was left dangling 100 feet (30 meters) above the ground, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report released Monday.

The report includes factual information but not a probable cause. That is typically included in a final report, which could take a year or two to complete, according to the NTSB.

The plane was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan, which is typically used during reduced visibility, as it returned to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg from White Plains, New York, the report states. Visibility in the fog was 1.25 miles (2 kilometers).



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-maryland-transportation-national-safety-board-a06a74a5a6cb28d0a2c5d9a3facb6fee?utm_source=ForYou&utm_medium=HomePage&utm_id=Taboola

[Ray Bruns]

1. Captain Obvious strikes again!

[twodogsbarking]

2. Pilot error. Shocking.

[Wicked Blue]

3. This pilot's errors caused the death of my neighbor

And I am heartsick and furious about it.

Phyllis died on her 90th birthday when the power outage caused by the plane crash cut off her oxygen supply.
Left in the dark and struggling to breathe, she made it to the door and passed out.

Another neighbor who went to check on her found her unconscious. She started CPR called to my husband, who was walking the dog, for help. He brought the dog inside, yelled to me to call 911, and raced back to give Phyllis CPR.

I called 911 and they responded very fast because we live near the fire and rescue building. They started working on Phyllis, then took her to a hospital. They said she still had a faint pulse. Unfortunately Phyllis died a few hours later.

I hope they take away this flyer's pilot license permanently.

[area51]

4. I'm so sorry.

[Wicked Blue]

5. Thanks.

I'm sorely tempted to contact the media about it, but I barely know her son and don't know how he would react. I don't want to cause him any additional pain.

[MedRxx]

7. I am so terribly sorry

I'm a pilot.

The FAA will pull his license, but that is way too little for what he has done.

My feeling is that the state should prosecute him for manslaughter as what he did was the equivalent of driving the wrong way on a highway.

I've flown for over 4000 hours. A guiding principle of mine—of most pilots—is never to kill anyone in a plane: especially no one on the ground.

[Wicked Blue]

8. Thanks MedRxx

You know that his previous flight accident, the one where he flew into a mountain, was also partly due to flying at too low an altitude.

I don't think anyone in the media or law enforcement even has a clue about my neighbor's death. The only reason I haven't spoken up - i'm a retired newspaper reporter - is that I don't know when my neighbor's son would think. I don't want to upset him. He lives about an hour away and I scarcely know him.

[MedRxx]

9. You would not have to contact the media

since (in my opinion) a crime has been committed it could be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities and simply ask if they could look into it from the perspective of illegal behavior.

Plane crashes (as do railway, maritime and other transportation 'events') tend to pass under the radar of local legal authorities. Certainly, local authorities have no expertise in, money for or the authority and responsibility to evaluate the root cause.

However, they do have a responsibility to the public to take action if someone has been injured, or, in this case, killed, as the result of clearly dangerous and reckless behavior.

[Happy Hoosier]

11. That sucks! I encourage anyone in a similar situation to have a UPS.

UPS: Uninterruptable Power Supply. Basically a smart battery back-up that can supply power in the event of a power outage. Usually it's fairly short term, and the person should have a generator back-up as well. The UPS can supply enough power to get the generator up and running.

Again, my sympathies.... such a tragedy.

[MedRxx]

6. More Plane Than Pilot

In the Texan sense of "More hat than cattle"

Here is a comment from a pilot's forum

The controller instructed the accident pilot to proceed direct to BEGKA and cleared him for the RNAV (GPS) RWY 14 approach. The minimum altitude at BEGKA, 11.3 nautical miles (nm) from the runway, was 3,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane crossed BEGKA about 2,775 ft as it aligned with the final approach course and continued its descent. The minimum altitude at the final approach fix (TIMBE), 5.2 nm from the runway, was 2,200 ft msl. The airplane crossed TIMBE at 1,725 ft msl. The minimum altitude at JOXOX waypoint, about 2.3 nm from the runway, was 1,280 ft msl; the airplane crossed JOXOX at 750 ft. The decision altitude (DA) for the final segment of the approach was 789 ft msl...[DA is the altitude where if you don't see the runway ('or specified visual refs') you must abandon the attempt and climb away for another try]...

...airplane impacted and became suspended in a power line tower at an elevation about 600 ft msl and 100 ft agl. Between JOXOX and the collision with the tower, the airplane descended as low as 475 ft. The published field elevation at GAI was 539 ft msl.

https://www.pprune.org/accidents-close-calls/650044-mooney-into-powerlines-near-d-c.html

Non-pilot translation of the above is that this aircraft driver (hard to call him a pilot) made multiple errors the most significant two of which were: 1) Lacked basic 'blind flying' skills; 2) consistently way too close to the ground throughout the entire approach.

Indeed, at one time his altimeter would have actually shown him 64 feet BELOW the published field elevation. This is possible as airports are often higher than some of the surrounding terrain.

About 2.5 statute (regular) miles out from the runway the minimum allowed altitude is 1,280 feet. At this point he was over 500 feet low at 750 feet. He hit the powerlines at an altitude of 600 feet, only 100 feet above the ground. Radar showed he had descended as low as 475--BELOW the airport elevation of 539 feet (see above).

Fortunately, no one was killed[1], although many were seriously inconvenienced, a fine was aircraft destroyed and another black mark made against aviation.

[1] I was wrong. Someone DID DIE. Saw Wicked Blue's response just before I posted.

[Cheezoholic]

10. Haven't looked real deep into it but from what I've read

It's pilots like this that are not just killing themselves and others but are killing GA for the rest of us. He may have been IFR certified but I would bet he mainly used IFR to fly at night. I would be surprised if he any if at all IFR bad weather experience. From the ATC transcript he was way behind the airplane. Sounded to me like he didn't even have approaches for that airport preloaded into his instrumentation. When ATC starts getting on your ass for not confirming their calls its time to gear up and go around, screw your pride.

[RobinA]

12. So...

We're not waiting for facts before condemning this man? That's nice.

[Kennah]

13. If there's a minimum altitude, how does it land?