Cessna T210M N77CF accident near Ogden, Utah

Probable cause

The pilot did not maintain clearance from obstacles after descending below the published approach decision height when visibility was less than published approach minimums due to heavy ground fog and he did not execute a missed approach after failing to establish a stabilized approach inside of the final approach fix.

NTSB analysis

Although the pilot stated that he did not remember anything beyond being concerned about the weather, recorded air traffic control communications revealed that he acquired a weather update while en route to his home airport that indicated that the weather at his destination was steadily deteriorating toward instrument meteorological conditions. He therefore filed and activated an instrument flight rules flight plan. As he neared his destination, but before being vectored toward a localizer intercept for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach, the pilot was advised that the visibility was 1/4 mile less than the published approach minimums. Soon thereafter a turbojet airplane attempting the same ILS approach reported conducting a missed approach and requested vectors to an airport with better visibility. The accident pilot continued the approach but did not stabilize his airspeed or intercept the localizer once inside the final approach fix. Although his failure to establish a stabilized approach should have led him to initiate a missed approach, the pilot continued the approach and contacted the tower controller. The controller gave him an updated visibility report that was 1/2 mile below the published approach minimums; however, the pilot elected to continue the approach. As he did so, he descended below the approach decision height and impacted a power pole and trees about 1/2 mile from the end of the runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11FA073 for the full record.