Important night mountain flying lesson

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Kiloalphadriver

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Feb 28, 2012
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Ray
The recent discussion of the HDN accident reminding me of this accident 18 years ago.

I saw the airplane the next day on the ramp at HDN and couldn't believe my eyes! I have no idea how it was able to stay in the air.

The pilot was a long time acquaintance of mine and we talked about it several days later. He said he was diverted by company on his way to DEN to pick up freight at HDN. He was starting down for HDN when center said he would be #2 for the approach (it was dark, but VMC) and he said the aircraft on the app in sight and he would cancel and follow it in. He had the airport and the town in sight when the next thing he knew, he was in the trees!

He said he was on the barber pole and he felt that's what saved him. Sheer speed. It was pure luck that he hit the down slope side of this hill and not the other side.

He quit flying after this accident and I lost track of him. I don't know if he ever went back to it.

The lesson here is you can't see the mountains any better at night then you can in the clouds! Fly the IFR procedures into (and out off) airports surrounded by terrain at night. It may take a little longer, but you'll arrive alive.

Blacktail Butte just NE of the JAC airport has killed more than a few over the years on severe clear nights. I'm guessing poster Ben here can attest to that.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20001206X00897&ntsbno=FTW94LA092&akey=1
 
I fly night VFR in the Mountains, I'm familiar with the area and know right where the hills are, on a moonlit night the mountains are very visible. You just have to be extra cautious of the weather since the clouds can be more difficult to see and I'd hesitate to fly around a desolate area I wasn't familiar with. There are plenty of "black holes", just takes a little more due diligence, I wouldn't recommend anyone not fly in the mountains at night, one of my favorite times to go flying.
 
Having a familiarity with the local area helps, but I still have known locals that had flown into the ground. Wind can push you into terrain at night when the "visuals" still look normal. Something to keep in the back of your mind. The pilot in the report knew HDN very well and it still happened.

Just my two cents after a successful mountain flying career.
 
Kiloalphadriver said:
Having a familiarity with the local area helps, but I still have known locals that had flown into the ground. Wind can push you into terrain at night when the "visuals" still look normal. Something to keep in the back of your mind. The pilot in the report knew HDN very well and it still happened.

Just my two cents after a successful mountain flying career.
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Very true....and it doesn't just apply to the mountains or hills.

I have sadly seen firsthand the aftermath of pilots who simply flew into the water on dark, moonless nights.
 
You can't equate flying at night with a full moon shining on the snow with flying on a dark night with no moon and an overcast. If there's any doubt the best idea is to stick with the instrument approach. Those dark areas could be clouds or terrain. The other option is to circle up and down over the town or the airport if you are familiar enough with the area to know there are no obstacles.
 
When I'm coming home after teachinG in ft. Stockton across mountainous area I never do a straight in approach on the runway without the VASI I just fly a normal pattern, essentially descending over town where i am sure where i am but I will set up for a straight in on the "big" runway making sure that I am on the high glide slope and aiming for the thousand foot marks instead of the numbers. I know my neighborhood pretty well. I have made a point of flying close to the hill/mts and marking where they are in elevation and marking the valley with a VOR DME but I still stay high
 
I never ventured into the mountains at night in Colorado. Never. But, then again, I could choose when to go, not so with a freight dog. A GPS with the terrain feature would be a pretty good investment though.
 
Anthony said:
I never ventured into the mountains at night in Colorado. Never. But, then again, I could choose when to go, not so with a freight dog. A GPS with the terrain feature would be a pretty good investment though.
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Which is why i use WingX and not ForeFlight.
 
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