Serious incident Piper PA-23-250 C-GBUA, Thursday 25 September 1997

You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:	Thursday 25 September 1997
Time:	10:15 LT
Type:	Piper PA-23-250
Owner/operator:	Foto Flight Surveys Ltd.
Registration:	C-GBUA
MSN:	277405370
Total airframe hrs:	5522 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming TIO-540
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Soda Springs, ID - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:	Pocatello, ID (KPIH)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
While on an aerial photographic survey flight, the pilot noted fuel leaking from around a fuel tank cap and elected to land at the nearest suitable airport (Soda Springs, Idaho.) Approaching the airport, the pilot checked two flight information publications including the U.S. Government Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD) to obtain airport information. He then performed an approach to runway 16. A U.S. highway runs approximately perpendicular to the runway extended centerline, crossing it approximately 50 feet short (north) of the approach end (the A/FD identifies approach obstructions to runway 16 only as 'Road'.) The pilot reported he was on a stabilized approach, on glide path (the runway is equipped with a tri-color visual approach slope indicator [VASI]), when the aircraft collided with a truck on the highway. The collision knocked off the airplane's left main wheel, but the pilot was able to execute a go-around and subsequently landed at Pocatello, Idaho, without further incident. A previous aircraft/vehicle collision occurred at Soda Springs in 1978. Local airport authorities increased the glide path angle setting of the runway 16 tri-color VASI after the accident, so as to give increased clearance over the highway on final approach.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to see-and-avoid the truck. Related factors included: a truck, insufficient runway obstruction information provided in the Airport/Facility Directory by the FAA, and VASI glide path angle setting (by local airport personnel) which provided inadequate clearance over the crossing highway.

Accident investigation: