GALVESTON, TX, USA
N5483V
NORTH AMERICAN P-51-D
FOLLOWING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT ARRIVED IN THE AREA OF HIS DESTINATION TO FIND THE WEATHER BELOW MINIMUMS. HE DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT IN THE AREA AND ATTEMPTED TWO APPROACHES, BUT WAS UNABLE TO BREAK OUT DUE TO THE WEATHER. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS 100 FOOT CEILING WITH .1 MILE VISIBILITY IN HAZE AND FOG. AFTER THE SECOND MISSED APPROACH, THE PILOT ADVISED ATC THAT HE WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL AND DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO EXECUTE A THIRD APPROACH OR DIVERT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. HE SUBSEQUENTLY ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRPLANE IN THE NEARBY GULF OF MEXICO. THE PILOT DEPARTED FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA WITHOUT RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING AND DID NOT OBTAIN ANY WEATHER INFORMATION EN ROUTE.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING. ONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING AND THE RESULTANT LOW FUEL STATE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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