Accident Details
The pilot of a small aircraft departed and subsequently conducted three practice instrument approaches at Bradford Regional Airport, located 35 miles away. After returning to Wellsville, the pilot was cleared for a runway localizer approach. The pilot contacted Wellsville UNICOM for advisories and was informed that a fog bank was situated over the approach end of Runway 28, with visibility reduced to a quarter mile. The pilot acknowledged this information.
Approximately five minutes after this radio exchange, an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was received at the airport. Another pilot, flying a different aircraft, attempted the same approach about 30 minutes later. According to this pilot, he could see directly below but was unable to see the airport during the approach. He executed a missed approach and subsequently landed successfully after a second attempt.
Investigation Findings
The accident aircraft was found to have collided with trees approximately one-quarter mile from the approach end of Runway 28. A subsequent examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Additionally, there was no evidence of physical impairment or incapacitation on the part of the pilot.
Flight testing of the localizer navigation aids at Wellsville determined that they were operating satisfactorily at the time of the accident.