What happened
The pilot elected to conduct a visual approach to the destination airport during arrival operations. Prior to the flight, he had not obtained an official weather briefing; instead, he relied on information provided by another company pilot who had flown into the airport earlier that day. During the initial phase of the approach, the pilot was able to see the runway rotating beacon and runway lights through some fog.
As the aircraft descended to approximately 75 feet above ground level on final approach, the pilot encountered thicker fog conditions. Despite the reduced visibility, the runway lights remained visible, prompting the pilot to continue the descent. However, upon passing the airport operations building, the pilot realized there was insufficient runway remaining to stop safely.
Consequently, the pilot initiated a go-around maneuver. Unfortunately, he was unable to clear the trees located at the departure end of the runway. The aircraft collided with the trees before eventually landing in an adjacent field. After impact, the aircraft skidded approximately 150 yards before coming to a stop. Neither the pilot nor the cargo handler sustained injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the collision and the decision-making process regarding the approach. Key findings included:
- The pilot had not obtained an official weather briefing for the destination airport.
- Information regarding conditions was sourced from another pilot who had arrived earlier.
- Visibility deteriorated significantly at low altitude, specifically around 75 feet AGL.
- The pilot correctly identified the inability to stop on the runway and initiated a go-around.
- The go-around failed due to insufficient altitude to clear obstacles (trees) at the departure end of the runway.