What happened
The aircraft was conducting an approach to a lake when it descended and struck trees before reaching the ground. The pilot reported that the windscreen began to frost up during the flight, requiring him to repeatedly wipe the glass clean to maintain visibility. While engaged in this manual clearing process, the pilot lost track of his altitude and approached the landing area lower than intended. The aircraft subsequently impacted a line of trees approximately 60 feet tall.
The investigation
Examination of the incident revealed that the pilot had purchased a windscreen heater but had not yet installed it in the aircraft. This lack of an active heating system likely contributed to the rapid frosting of the windshield, necessitating the manual intervention that distracted the pilot from monitoring his flight path.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's distraction caused by the need to manually clear frost from the windscreen. This task diverted attention away from altitude awareness during a critical phase of flight. The absence of an installed windscreen heater meant that the pilot had to rely on manual methods to maintain visibility, which proved ineffective for maintaining situational awareness.
Safety message
Pilots should ensure all available anti-icing and de-icing systems are functional and installed before flight. Relying on manual methods to clear windows during approach can severely degrade situational awareness and lead to controlled flight into terrain.