VFR into IMC · NTSB WPR11FA395
MAULE M-7-235C — Brookings, OR
| Date | August 21, 2011 |
| Location | Brookings, OR |
| Aircraft | MAULE M-7-235C |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Loss of visual reference |
| Pilot age | 63 |
| Pilot total time | 3,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 0 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weather planning-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Below VFR minima-Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Low visibility-Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Clouds-Contributed to outcome
What happened
The pilot was flying the newly purchased airplane on a cross-country flight under visual flight rules (VFR); the pilot had not filed a VFR flight plan. As he neared his intermediate destination airport, the pilot obtained an in-flight weather briefing, which indicated that airmen's meteorological information (AIRMET) Sierra for instrument meteorological conditions was active and included the arrival airport and surrounding area. The AIRMET reported ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 statute miles in broken conditions. The destination airport, located about 1 mile south of the accident site, reported visibility less than 1/4 statute mile, fog, and ceiling overcast at 200 feet. The pilot had not filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. It is likely that the pilot's visibility was obscured by clouds and that he did not realize how low he was flying while on approach to the airport.
One witness reported seeing and hearing the airplane circling overhead while it was on approach to the airport and then hearing impact sounds. One witness reported seeing the airplane descend out of the cloud base, which he estimated was about 170 feet above the surface. He observed the airplane bank right, strike a tree, cartwheel, strike another tree, and then hit the ground. Another witness stated that she saw the airplane strike a tree and that, at the time, there was "a little fog." A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.