LAX96LA024

The aircraft impacted terrain adjacent to the destination runway while executing a circling approach in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot completed an instrument landing system approach to minimums and executed a missed approach. During the missed approach the pilot identified another runway and was cleared to land on that runway. While maneuvering in visual conditions, the pilot stalled the aircraft at a low altitude and impacted the terrain.

On October 27, 1995, at 0730 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 206, N2167F, impacted the terrain adjacent to runway 7R while executing a circling approach in instrument meteorological conditions at Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, California. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the private pilot was uninjured. The business flight departed from Carlsbad, California, at 0630.

The pilot told an NTSB investigator that, as he was en route, a fogbank was approaching the destination airport from the harbor area to the south. By the time he was established on the ILS Runway 30 approach about 5 miles southeast of the airport, the fogbank had reached the airport and obscured the runway 30 touchdown zone which is at the southern extremity of the airport.

The pilot completed the ILS approach to minimums, and unable to acquire visual reference with the surface, initiated a missed approach. During the missed approach the pilot advised the tower that he had runway 7R in sight and the tower controller cleared the flight to land on that runway. While maneuvering in visual conditions, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, stalled at low altitude, and impacted terrain in a grass area approximately 1000 feet beyond the runway 7R threshold and 100 feet north of the runway centerline.