Piper PA-31 Cheyenne crash, Feb 4, 2002, Hobbs-Lea County
Piper PA-31 Cheyenne accident on February 4, 2002 near Hobbs-Lea County, New Mexico, United States with no fatalities. Cause: The pilot's failure to...
- Date: February 4, 2002
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne
- Location: Hobbs-Lea County, New Mexico, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath during the instrument approach. The dark night conditions and the pilot's diverted attention were contributing factors.
A Piper Cheyenne on a night instrument flight from Las Vegas to Hobbs was on the ILS approach to Lea County. After a missed approach and a second approach, the pilot descended below the glide path, became distracted when the autopilot disengaged, and struck the ground short of the runway. The pilot survived and the aircraft was destroyed.