Piper PA-34-200T N38884 accident near Port Huron, Michigan

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to continue flight below the minimum descent altitude without visually acquiring the runway and his delayed and improperly executed missed approach procedure in instrument meteorological conditions.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was conducting a business flight. He had obtained weather briefings on the day before and the day of the flight, which indicated marginal visual flight rules conditions. However, upon arrival in the vicinity of the airport, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed with visibility at or below the approach's visibility minimums. However, the pilot contacted the controller, obtained the weather information, and chose to continue the approach. Radar data showed that the airplane's final approach course was unstabilized. The last data point along the final approach course was about 0.5 mile southwest of the missed approach point, which was near the runway 4 approach end at an altitude of 1,100 ft. The missed approach procedure was to climb to 2,500 ft, make a climbing left turn to 4,000 feet, proceed direct to the outer marker, and hold. The lack of radar data points below 1,100 feet between the approach and departure ends of runway 4 may indicate that the airplane was below 1,100 ft over the runway area, which may indicate that the pilot attempted to visually acquire the runway environment with visibilities that did not allow for adequate visual reference to land. Likely unable to see the runway, the pilot notified air traffic control that he was executing a missed approach. The airplane impacted a wooded area about 0.39 mile north/northwest of the runway 4 departure end. The wreckage path length and slope through the trees was consistent with a shallow angle of impact at relative high speed. It is likely that the pilot continued flight below the minimum descent altitude without visually acquiring the runway and did not execute the missed approach procedures in a timely manner. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The filed alternate airport for the flight showed weather about the time of the accident that was above weather minimums for a precision approach that was available at the alternate airport.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15FA087 for the full record.