Pilot Killed During IMC Landing Attempt

A Missouri businessman trying to land his single-engine aircraft in IMC barely missed the airport, impacting the ground nearby the Baldwin County Airport in Milledgeville (GA).

County Coroner Wayne Brooks said 55-year-old Richard George Bath of Dexter, Missouri, died instantly when his Beech B-36 (file photo, below right) crashed in a clearing across from the airport landing strip about 11:00 pm Friday.

Brooks said it looked as if Bath couldn't see the trees because of heavy fog and mist at the time. Airport documentation warns pilots about 100-foot trees along the glidepath.

The airport isn't equipped with a precision landing system. Instead, pilots must rely on forecasts from Macon for the meteorological information they need to make a go/no-go decision.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration searched the crash scene Saturday.

Bath reportedly made two "go-'rounds" before his fatal third attempt. Police in Milledgeville said Bath didn't report any malfunction as he made his third attempt to land. Investigators are trying to determine where he had taken off from earlier Friday.

FMI: http://www2.faa.gov/avr/aai/iirform.htm