On February 26, 1971, a Cessna 411 (registration N3283R) operated by Peck Meat Packing was involved in an aviation accident near Milwaukee, United States of America during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by improper instrument flight rules operation, characterized by descending below the minimum descent altitude during an approach in low visibility. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
An aircraft crashed in a wooded area short of Milwaukee Airport after descending below the minimum descent altitude during an approach in foggy conditions.
What happened
During an approach to Milwaukee Airport, the pilot encountered degraded visibility caused by fog. While performing the descent, the aircraft descended beneath the established minimum descent altitude (MDA). The flight subsequently impacted trees in a wooded area situated approximately 5.7 miles from the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and caused one fatality and three injuries among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements related to the weather and flight procedures. The primary factor was improper IFR operation, specifically involving a descent below the MDA. Additional contributing conditions included low cloud ceilings and fog, as well as meteorological conditions that were slightly more severe than what had been previously forecasted.
Probable cause
The accident was caused by improper instrument flight rules operation, characterized by descending below the minimum descent altitude during an approach in low visibility.