What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman, who was not night current, was conducting a night flight, for the purpose of regaining night currency after having not flown at night for 20 years, when he landed in a drainage ditch parallel to runway 27, the landing runway. The airman?s landing in the ditch resulted in minor damage to the airplane.
The airman provided a written statement which indicated that he, for unknown reasons, was unable to activate the runway?s pilot controlled lighting. The airman attempted to line up with runway 27 but, lined up with the ditch which, in the dark, appeared to be the runway.
The airman?s statement also indicated that in retrospect several judgment errors were made. The errors stated where as follows: not soliciting instruction from a flight instructor, not checking the pilot controlled lighting prior to dark and departure, and not diverting to another airport. All errors identified by the airman in his statement were associated with judgment.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN, WHO WAS NOT NIGHT CURRENT, WAS CONDUCTING A NIGHT FLIGHT, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGAINING NIGHT CURRENCY AFTER HAVING NOT FLOWN AT NIGHT FOR 20 YEARS, WHEN HE LANDED IN A DRAINAGE DITCH PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 27, THE LANDING RUNWAY. THE AIRMAN?S LANDING IN THE DITCH RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE.
THE AIRMAN PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT WHICH INDICATED THAT HE, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY?S PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING. THE AIRMAN ATTEMPTED TO LINE UP WITH RUNWAY 27 BUT, LINED UP WITH THE DITCH WHICH, IN THE DARK, APPEARED TO BE THE RUNWAY.
THE AIRMAN?S STATEMENT ALSO INDICATED THAT IN RETROSPECT SEVERAL JUDGMENT ERRORS WERE MADE. THE ERRORS STATED WHERE AS FOLLOWS: NOT SOLICITING INSTRUCTION FROM A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, NOT CHECKING THE PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING PRIOR TO DARK AND DEPARTURE, AND NOT DIVERTING TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. ALL ERRORS IDENTIFIED BY THE AIRMAN IN HIS STATEMENT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH JUDGMENT.
Other reports on N442SS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.