VFR flight accident following encounter with thick fog

Casualties unknown • Breckenridge, TX, US

An instrument-rated commercial pilot attempted a visual flight rules mission in low visibility, resulting in an accident after encountering localized fog.

What happened

An instrument-rated commercial pilot initially aborted a flight and returned to his home base after encountering a localized area of thick fog a few miles from his departure point. Following this, the pilot was contacted by flaggers at the destination field, where they reported that weather conditions had cleared.

Based on this report, the pilot took off a second time to continue the VFR flight to the spraying site. During the flight, the pilot communicated via radio that visibility was not as good as anticipated and stated he was attempting to navigate around the fog. At the time of the accident, visibility in the vicinity of the site was reported to be between five feet and 150 feet.

The aircraft involved was not equipped for instrument flight, and the pilot lacked any recent experience with instrument flight procedures.

Probable cause

The pilot attempted to continue a visual flight rules flight in conditions with extremely low visibility while operating an aircraft that was not equipped for instrument flight and without recent instrument experience.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1994-06-10 Piper PA-25-235 accident near Breckenridge, TX?

An instrument-rated commercial pilot attempted a visual flight rules mission in low visibility, resulting in an accident after encountering localized fog.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1994-06-10 involved a Piper PA-25-235, registration N4492Y, at Breckenridge, TX.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot attempted to continue a visual flight rules flight in conditions with extremely low visibility while operating an aircraft that was not equipped for instrument flight and without recent instrument experience.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001206X01516. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.

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