The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of the Nov. 27, 2022, accident when a Mooney M20J became entangled in high-voltage power transmission lines on an instrument approach to Montgomery County Airpark (KGAI) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Both the pilot and passenger were rescued from the airplane that was perched some 100 feet above the ground for hours.
The Mooney had been cleared for the GPS approach to Runway 14 at KGAI. Weather conditions were poor with a 200-foot overcast and 1.25 miles visibility in mist.
“Low IMC flight at night is a challenging scenario,” said AOPA’s ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden. “As pilots we need to recognize the demands on us and make sure we’re rested, proficient, and ready to undertake such a flight.”
The accident happened in the last two minutes of the approach, he noted.
“The Air Safety Institute estimates that about 47% of accidents happen in the two minutes after takeoff and two minutes before landing,” he said. “We need to ensure we’re ahead of the airplane as we start an approach — especially in low instrument conditions.”
You can see other Early Analysis videos here.
Grace of God indeed …. Methinks the first pilot who hasn’t made at least one bad decision can throw the first stone. I’m living the past 11 years of Grace. 200 feet and a mile and a half? Still doable for a line flyer (pipeline patrol)
Excellent video and info, EXCEPT the volume was up and down. Thought Brandon was having trouble with the tele prompter.
Why people try these approaches is beyond my comprehension. Flying this approach, any approach when the weather is 100 ft below the published ceiling and with 1 1/4 mile at NIGHT is 98.99% of the time going to end up in a missed or a crash, .01% into power lines. If you want to commit suicide do it in a manner that does not effect insurance gates.
By the sheer Grace of God those people weren’t incinerated in a ball of fire when that airframe shorted those high voltage wires. Pure miracle.
++1
My thoughts exactly when I first saw this.