What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Struck approach lights too low on final. Skidded down runway on nose gear. PIC wearing non approved mono contacts. (.4)the airplane had struck the approach light structure and the end of the runway deck during the approach. Because of the captain's use of monovision contact lenses, he was unable to overcome the visual illusions resulting from the approach over water in limited light conditions (absence of visible ground features), the irregular spacing of the runway edge lights at shorter-than-usual intervals, the rain, and the fog, and that these illusions led the captain to perceive that the airplane was higher than it was during the visual portion of the approach, and thus, to his unnecessarily steepening the approach during the final 10 seconds before impact. Aviation medical examiners (ames) need to know if pilot examinees are using contact lenses, and currently no process is in place to ensure that ames are provided with that information. The lag time in the display of vertical speed information in the vertical speed indicator installed in the accident airplane limited the first officer's ability to provide the captain with precise vertical speed information during the critical final seconds of the approach, and therefore contributed to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
STRUCK APPROACH LIGHTS TOO LOW ON FINAL. SKIDDED DOWN RUNWAY ON NOSE GEAR. PIC WEARING NON APPROVED MONO CONTACTS. (.4)THE AIRPLANE HAD STRUCK THE APPROACH LIGHT STRUCTURE AND THE END OF THE RUNWAY DECK DURING THE APPROACH. BECAUSE OF THE CAPTAIN'S USE OF MONOVISION CONTACT LENSES, HE WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE VISUAL ILLUSIONS RESULTING FROM THE APPROACH OVER WATER IN LIMITED LIGHT CONDITIONS (ABSENCE OF VISIBLE GROUND FEATURES), THE IRREGULAR SPACING OF THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS AT SHORTER-THAN-USUAL INTERVALS, THE RAIN, AND THE FOG, AND THAT THESE ILLUSIONS LED THE CAPTAIN TO PERCEIVE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGHER THAN IT WAS DURING THE VISUAL PORTION OF THE APPROACH, AND THUS, TO HIS UNNECESSARILY STEEPENING THE APPROACH DURING THE FINAL 10 SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT. AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINERS (AMES) NEED TO KNOW IF PILOT EXAMINEES ARE USING CONTACT LENSES, AND CURRENTLY NO PROCESS IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT AMES ARE PROVIDED WITH THAT INFORMATION. THE LAG TIME IN THE DISPLAY OF VERTICAL SPEED INFORMATION IN THE VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR INSTALLED IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE LIMITED THE FIRST OFFICER'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE CAPTAIN WITH PRECISE VERTICAL SPEED INFORMATION DURING THE CRITICAL FINAL SECONDS OF THE APPROACH, AND THEREFORE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.