What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot began losing lights inside the cockpit shortly after departing X40. The pilot elected to continue onward to bkv because it is longer, wider and has more airport lighting. The tower was closed. The pilot used the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) to get to the runway, but after passing the PAPI the pilot lost depth perception. The pilot recalls touching down first with the right main gear then hitting a runway light and then a distance remaining sign. The airplane's step hit the sign first and then the stabilator which suffered substantial damage. The nose then pitched down causing damage to the prop, motor mount and nose gear fairing. The pilot taxied back to the hangar under power and detected no noticable vibrations.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT BEGAN LOSING LIGHTS INSIDE THE COCKPIT SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING X40. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE ONWARD TO BKV BECAUSE IT IS LONGER, WIDER AND HAS MORE AIRPORT LIGHTING. THE TOWER WAS CLOSED. THE PILOT USED THE PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) TO GET TO THE RUNWAY, BUT AFTER PASSING THE PAPI THE PILOT LOST DEPTH PERCEPTION. THE PILOT RECALLS TOUCHING DOWN FIRST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR THEN HITTING A RUNWAY LIGHT AND THEN A DISTANCE REMAINING SIGN. THE AIRPLANE'S STEP HIT THE SIGN FIRST AND THEN THE STABILATOR WHICH SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE NOSE THEN PITCHED DOWN CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE PROP, MOTOR MOUNT AND NOSE GEAR FAIRING. THE PILOT TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR UNDER POWER AND DETECTED NO NOTICABLE VIBRATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.