Piper Aerostar 602P Crash Near Penticton, British Columbia (N88AT)

Flight Details and Approach Clearance On an instrument flight rules flight from Salt Lake City Airport, Utah, to Penticton, British Columbia, a Piper Aerostar 602P (registration N88AT, serial number 62P08628165003) carried the pilot-owner, three passengers, and two dogs. At 1149 Pacific standard time, the Kamloops/Castlegar sector controller of Vancouver Centre provided the crew with a special weather observation for Penticton: winds calm; visibility one mile in snow; sky obscured; vertical visibility 700 feet; snow; 8/8 sky cover; temperature zero; 1900 (1100 PST) altimeter 30.21. As the aircraft approached Penticton, the pilot requested the localizer distance-measuring equipment B (LOC DME-B) approach to runway 16. After confirming the ability to complete the procedure turn within 13 miles of the airport, the controller issued an approach clearance with a restriction to keep the turn within that 13-mile limit, intended to prevent conflicts with traffic operating from runway 15 at Kelowna. At 1203 PST, the pilot reported to the Penticton Flight Service Station that he was by the Penticton non-directional beacon (NDB) outbound on the localizer and received the latest runway condition report. The aircraft then failed to respond to repeated radio calls from the Penticton Flight Service Station and Vancouver Centre, prompting search and rescue activation.