The commercial pilot was attempting to land at the airport in Laconia, New Hampshire, when he temporarily lost sight of the runway due to sun glare and haze.
The Mooney M20C hit trees short of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The pilot, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during an approach in sun glare and hazy conditions.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This November 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
If there is an instrument approach available and you are not in the pattern, having the approach as a backup in visual conditions can save you in a case like this. If the commercial pilot was in the pattern, he should have been aware of conditions and obstacles.
Now you know what sunglass;s are for But he must have been too low
on his approach