What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12/24/2014 a Piper seneca (N38884) departed richmond/ashland, VA (kofp) at 10:25 et IFR to Port Huron, MI (phn). The pilot in command was the only occupant. He was a canadian citizen and operated on a us private pilot certificate with single and multiengine land privileges based on his canadian certificate.
The aircraft departed and flew uneventfully through Washington and cleveland centers? Airspace at 8000 ft. cleveland center issued normal descent clearances and eventually handed N38884 off to selfridge approach control. Selfridge issued standard clearances and vectors to the ILS 4 at phn. At approximately 10 miles from runway 4 selfridge assigned a heading of 010 to join the localizer at 2300 feet and cleared the aircraft for the ILS 4. N38884 acknowledged and complied. At approximately 6 miles out (1 mile from the glideslope intercept) selfridge approach noticed the aircraft was late joining the localizer and was flying through it. The controller asked if he needed vectors back on the localizer. The pilot stated that, ?I think I can grab it?. Selfridge gave the most current phn altimeter and approved N38884 to switch to the advisory frequency. The aircraft did rejoin the localizer prior to the final approach fix and continued to descend. The approach radar data and mode c report indicate that the aircraft was approximately 150 ft high throughout most of the approach profile. Also, the radar indicated ?s? Turning on the localizer. At one mile from the end of the runway the mode c indicated 1200. This was about 150 ft above the 3 degree glide path.
At 12:52:16 et the aircraft arrived at the missed approach point/da. At that time the aircraft mode c indicated 1100. The prescribed da was 847. At that time the aircraft appeared to be diverging from the localizer to the west. This was the last received mode c and/or primary radar target until the aircraft reappeared flying the missed approach.
At 12:53:48 et the aircraft reappeared on radar for 2 sweeps at 1100 ft (approximately 550 ft above the ground). The aircraft was .8 miles northwest of the airport which was well west of the missed approach course. The pilot advised selfridge that he was on the missed approach. Selfridge acknowledged and asked him to say his altitude. There were no more verbal responses or radar contact.
The aircraft impacted the trees at approximately .1 mile from the point of the last radar contact. The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain.
Selfridge initiated a search. The ELT functioned and the aircraft was found with a ground search by the civil air patrol at 17:06.
At 17:15 et the Port Huron sheriffs? Department arrived and preserved the scene.
At 20:00 et the pilot was removed with concurrence from the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12/24/2014 A PIPER SENECA (N38884) DEPARTED RICHMOND/ASHLAND, VA (KOFP) AT 10:25 ET IFR TO PORT HURON, MI (PHN). THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT. HE WAS A CANADIAN CITIZEN AND OPERATED ON A US PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SINGLE AND MULTIENGINE LAND PRIVILEGES BASED ON HIS CANADIAN CERTIFICATE.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY THROUGH WASHINGTON AND CLEVELAND CENTERS? AIRSPACE AT 8000 FT. CLEVELAND CENTER ISSUED NORMAL DESCENT CLEARANCES AND EVENTUALLY HANDED N38884 OFF TO SELFRIDGE APPROACH CONTROL. SELFRIDGE ISSUED STANDARD CLEARANCES AND VECTORS TO THE ILS 4 AT PHN. AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM RUNWAY 4 SELFRIDGE ASSIGNED A HEADING OF 010 TO JOIN THE LOCALIZER AT 2300 FEET AND CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE ILS 4. N38884 ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. AT APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES OUT (1 MILE FROM THE GLIDESLOPE INTERCEPT) SELFRIDGE APPROACH NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATE JOINING THE LOCALIZER AND WAS FLYING THROUGH IT. THE CONTROLLER ASKED IF HE NEEDED VECTORS BACK ON THE LOCALIZER. THE PILOT STATED THAT, ?I THINK I CAN GRAB IT?. SELFRIDGE GAVE THE MOST CURRENT PHN ALTIMETER AND APPROVED N38884 TO SWITCH TO THE ADVISORY FREQUENCY. THE AIRCRAFT DID REJOIN THE LOCALIZER PRIOR TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX AND CONTINUED TO DESCEND. THE APPROACH RADAR DATA AND MODE C REPORT INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 150 FT HIGH THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE APPROACH PROFILE. ALSO, THE RADAR INDICATED ?S? TURNING ON THE LOCALIZER. AT ONE MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY THE MODE C INDICATED 1200. THIS WAS ABOUT 150 FT ABOVE THE 3 DEGREE GLIDE PATH.
AT 12:52:16 ET THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT THE MISSED APPROACH POINT/DA. AT THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT MODE C INDICATED 1100. THE PRESCRIBED DA WAS 847. AT THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE DIVERGING FROM THE LOCALIZER TO THE WEST. THIS WAS THE LAST RECEIVED MODE C AND/OR PRIMARY RADAR TARGET UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT REAPPEARED FLYING THE MISSED APPROACH.
AT 12:53:48 ET THE AIRCRAFT REAPPEARED ON RADAR FOR 2 SWEEPS AT 1100 FT (APPROXIMATELY 550 FT ABOVE THE GROUND). THE AIRCRAFT WAS .8 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT WHICH WAS WELL WEST OF THE MISSED APPROACH COURSE. THE PILOT ADVISED SELFRIDGE THAT HE WAS ON THE MISSED APPROACH. SELFRIDGE ACKNOWLEDGED AND ASKED HIM TO SAY HIS ALTITUDE. THERE WERE NO MORE VERBAL RESPONSES OR RADAR CONTACT.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES AT APPROXIMATELY .1 MILE FROM THE POINT OF THE LAST RADAR CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
SELFRIDGE INITIATED A SEARCH. THE ELT FUNCTIONED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WITH A GROUND SEARCH BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL AT 17:06.
AT 17:15 ET THE PORT HURON SHERIFFS? DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PRESERVED THE SCENE.
AT 20:00 ET THE PILOT WAS REMOVED WITH CONCURRENCE FROM THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N38884 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.