IAD96LA124

The pilot reported he was in a left hand traffic pattern for a night landing at Pike County Airport, and he had turned base leg to land on runway 25. He said that he had the rotating beacon in sight and that he had activated the runway lights. The pilot stated, 'The approach was uneventful until I turned base in the descent. I found myself abruptly in very dense fog. I lost all visual reference outside the cockpit. My first reaction was to search for the runway lights, but this was to no avail. I did note that the aircraft instruments indicated that I was in a left bank turn and descending. As I took action to level the wings, the aircraft made contact with the ground.'

On August 8, 1996, at 0050 eastern daylight time (EDT) a Cessna 150, N61049, collided with terrain while on the base leg to land on runway 25 at Waverly/Pike County Airport, in Waverly, Ohio. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The flight originated in Portsmouth, Ohio, at 0030 EDT, with an intended destination of Waverly, Ohio (I57).

The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector that the airplane was in a left hand traffic pattern and had turned base leg to land on runway 25. The pilot reported that he had the rotating beacon in sight and that he had activated the runway lights. He said that after turning final he encountered fog, became disoriented, and then collided with terrain. The airplane came to rest approximately 1/2 mile from the approach end of runway 25 at Waverly/Pike County Airport.

According to the pilot, "The approach was uneventful until I turned base in the descent. I found myself abruptly in very dense fog. I lost all visual reference outside the cockpit. My first reaction was to search for the runway lights, but this was to no avail. I did note that the aircraft instruments indicated that I was in a left bank turn and descending. As I took action to level the wings, the aircraft made contact with the ground."

The FAA Safety Inspector reported, "Due to [the pilot's] attempt to scan between inside references and outside references he became totally disoriented." He added that the accident was "... consistent with a VFR pilot continuing flight into IMC conditions and then controlled flight into terrain."