SEA97LA131

The student pilot turned onto final approach for runway 4 just after 0600 hours and found that his approach was directly into the early morning sunrise. He reported that he 'could no longer see (his) instrument panel or the runway.' He said he then 'added power to go around' and that 'the next thing was the sound of the airplane hitting the ground.' The pilot reported that he waited too long to abort the landing. The sun's angle of elevation was determined to be 5.23 degrees above the horizon, and the angle of azimuth was determined to be 48.41 degrees magnetic.

On June 7, 1997, approximately 0602 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182C, N8522T, registered to and being flown by a student pilot, was substantially damaged during collision with terrain while executing a go-around at the Fairgrounds Airpark, Hardin, Montana. The pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was to have been a supervised solo, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Sheridan, Wyoming, approximately 0520.

The 71 year old pilot reported that he was following a friend on the cross country flight to Hardin and that upon final approach to landing on runway 04 (CHART I) he found that his final approach was directly into the early morning sunrise. He reported that he "could no longer see (his) instrument panel or the runway." He reported that he then "added power to go around" and that "the next thing was the sound of the airplane hitting the ground."

The pilot also reported to the Safety Board (page 4, "Recommendation" NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that "the sun was in my eyes, I became disoriented, (and) waited too long to abort (the) landing."

Calculations based on the latitude and longitude of the Hardin airport and the time of 0602MDT on June 7, 1997, provided a sun angle of elevation of 5.23 degrees above the horizon and a sun azimuth angle of 62.42 degrees from true north (48.41 degrees magnetic).