What happened
A flight involving a private pilot and a commercial pilot resulted in an aircraft disappearing from radar during the approach phase. The commercial pilot, who held approximately 1,000 total flight hours, had filed a flight plan and obtained a weather briefing for an incorrect destination. Consequently, the crew was unaware of a NOTAM indicating that the approach lighting system at their intended airport was out of service. Upon discovering the error, the pilot updated the flight plan but failed to secure a new weather briefing.
Radar data indicates that the aircraft approached the instrument landing system runway 5 at an excessive speed. During the maneuver, the crew executed a steep missed approach up to an altitude of 1,000 feet, after which the aircraft vanished from radar tracking. The flight conditions at the time included light rain, mist, and an overcast ceiling of 200 feet, with visibility limited to one mile. While the investigation could not confirm which pilot was actively operating the controls at the moment of the accident, no mechanical failures were found on the aircraft.
Findings
- The crew was operating with inaccurate destination information due to an incorrect initial flight plan.
- The failure to obtain a new weather briefing left the crew unaware of critical airport lighting status.
- The aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed during the final approach.
- The loss of radar contact is consistent with a loss of control during the steep missed approach maneuver.