PA24 long distance flight ends in a dwelling

[Gagarin]

Wonder if there was moving map navigator onboard, it will definitely help with the approach. My sympathies for the family.

 

[Cruiser]

29 minutes ago, Gagarin said:

Wonder if there was moving map navigator onboard, it will definitely help with the approach. My sympathies for the family.

 

I fear that might have been a major factor in this accident. Looking at the track the plane remained above the ceiling until over the airport. There was no visual way to know that. Using a tablet he might have attempted to descend at that point (look at the flight track). 

[Aerodon]

45 minutes ago, Gagarin said:

Wonder if there was moving map navigator onboard, it will definitely help with the approach. My sympathies for the family.

 

I agree with Cruiser, I think this creates a false sense of security.  Instrument approaches are all pretty similar.  You get used to following a sequence and pre-planning what to do next.  Generally you are flying straight and descending.  Or flying level and turning.  The wheels (wings) start falling off with circling approaches, it can get quite difficult to get back onto a missed approach procedure once you have started circling.

Circling down to find the airport on your own made up plan has got to be one of the worst ideas out.

I fly over the mountains on the west coast.  Having a 760 in front of me might save my life one day.  I will absolutely use it to descend into a valley if needs be.  There is an accident review on Beechtalk where a Bonanza's engine failed catastrophically over the mountains near Seattle.  The pilot crashed into the trees about a mile short of a runway, and somehow miraculously survived. (when you see the pictures, I don't know how he did).  Listening to the ATC and looking at the radar track, I think that if the pilot had a 760 in front of him and had turned towards the airport just a little sooner, he would have made it.

 

Aerodon

[A64Pilot]

Graveyard spiral