SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA, USA
N33283
CESSNA 177RG
WHILE ENROUTE IFR TO SANTA BARBARA THE WX CONDITIONS WENT BELOW MINIMUMS. THE PLT FIRST ASKED ABOUT SANTA MARIA (SMX) AS AN ALTERNATE BUT THE WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AS WELL. THE PLT THEN SELECTED SAN LUIS OBISPO (SBP) FOR HIS ALTERNATE DEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT WAS HIGH DURING THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO SBP AND PASSED OVER THE AIRPORT AT 2,600 FT MSL (2,300 AGL). THE CONTROLLER ISSUED A CLIMB TO 5,000 FT AND TOLD THE PLT TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED. THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION. THE PLT STATED 'MISSED APPROACH AS PUBLISHED,' TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE'. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT DESCENDED TO 2,200 FT, WHERE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. ON SITE EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT HIT THE TOP OF A HILL IN A LEVEL STD RATE TURN TO THE LEFT. TWO APPROACH PLATES WERE ON THE PLTS CLIPBOARD, THE SMX ILS & THE SBP LOCALIZER. THE SMX MISSED APPROACH SPECIFIES A CLIMBING LEFT TURN TO 2,000 BACK TO THE VOR. BOTH APPROACH PLATES LOOK SIMILIAR.
PILOTS ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATION OF HIS MISSED APPROACH CLEARANCE, AND, HIS PERFORMANCE OF THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE FOR THE SANTA MARIA ILS INSTEAD OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO LOCALIZER.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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