LAX98LA114

The pilot was cleared for a GPS approach. He stated that he was too high to make a good landing, so he opted for a circling approach to another runway. As he turned for the base leg, he lost visual contact and became disoriented. It was a dark night with no moon. The pilot realized that he was in a 70- to 80-degree left bank and returned the airplane to a level attitude, then noticed the ground directly in front of him. The aircraft ran through a barbed wire fence, collided with trees, and slid rearward to a stop in a high altitude meadow east of the airport. The FAA completed an evaluation of the circling approach procedures and night operations for that airport and did not find any problems.

On March 13, 1998, about 1900 hours Pacific standard time, a Socata TBM 700, N345RD, collided with terrain about 0.5 miles east of the Truckee, California, airport. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial pilot and three passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner. The flight originated from Gnoss Field in Novota, California, at 1800. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan was filed.

The Truckee Airport was reporting visual meteorological conditions with 10 miles visibility and a 1,700-foot agl overcast ceiling. The pilot was cleared by Oakland Center Approach Control for a Global Positioning System (GPS) approach to runway 19. He reported that there was a bluff near runway 19 with housing on it, which made him uncomfortable, so he delayed his descent to the minimum descent altitude (MDA). When he did descend, he felt that he was too high too make a good landing on the runway so he opted instead to perform a circling approach to runway 28. The pilot stated that as he initiated a left turn for the base leg of runway 28, he became preoccupied with maintaining visual contact with the airport. It was a dark night with no moon. The pilot reported that he soon lost visual contact and became disoriented. The attitude indicator showed the aircraft to be in a 70- to 80-degree left bank.

As the pilot returned the airplane to a straight and level attitude, he noticed the ground directly in front of him. The aircraft ran through a barbed wire fence, collided with trees, and slid rearward to a stop in a high altitude meadow east of the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration Flight Inspection Field Office in Sacramento, California, conducted an evaluation of the GPS approach for runway 19 with circle to land minimums at night for all categories, the elevation differential around the airport, and overall night operations at the Truckee Airport. They reported that they did not find any problems with the approach.