ALLENTOWN, PA, USA
N888TP
Mitsubishi MU-2B-6
The flight was on the ILS approach to runway 6, broke out of the clouds at 500 feet, and then re-entered the clouds. The airplane had not yet touched down when it drifted to right of the runway centerline and struck a snow bank located in the grass to the right of the runway, between the runway and the taxiway. The pilot stated he was just starting the missed approach when the accident occurred, and '...that there was no indication of a malfunction of the aircraft.' The reported ceiling was, 100 sky obscured, and the visibility was 1/4 mile, wind 040 degrees, 6 knots.
On January 18, 1996, about 1930 eastern standard time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-6, N888TP, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, business flight, and crashed in the vicinity of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, en route to Allentown at 1900. The private pilot received minor injuries, and the two passengers were not injured. The flight was on the ILS approach to runway 6, broke out of the clouds at 500 feet, and then re-entered the clouds. The pilot stated he could not see the runway threshold lights. The airplane had not yet touched down when it drifted to right of the runway centerline, struck a snow bank located in the grass to the right of the runway, between the runway and the taxiway. The pilot stated to the FAA that he was just starting the missed approach when the accident occurred. According to the FAA the pilot stated, "...that when he added power, the aircraft['s] right wing hit the snow bank (right of runway 6)...[and] that there was no indication of a malfunction of the aircraft." The Allentown 1915 weather was; 100 sky obscured, visibility 1/4 mile, temperature 38 degrees F, dew point 37 degrees F, wind 040 degrees, 6 knots, altimeter 30.00 inches Hg. The Instrument Landing System [ILS] Runway 06 approach to the airport, frequency was 110.70. The Initial Approach Fix (IAF), LEEHI, Locator Outer Marker (LOM), was 5.4 nautical miles from the missed approach point (MAP) on the localizer (LOC) course of 061 degrees. The published decision height (DH), was 594 feet, which was 200 feet above ground level (394 feet airport elevation). The minimum visibility for the approach was 1/2 nautical mile.
the pilot's failure to comply with IFR procedures in that he attempted an instrument approach with visibility below the required minimums, and his delayed execution of a missed approach. A factor was the reduced visibility due to clouds.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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