What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 8 September 2016, ^giuseppe nirta,^ the PIC, departed socorro, NM (konm) airport at approximately 1930 MDT in N563WT, a PA46-350T. The weather was VMC and the flight was conduct under VFR flight following with ATC.
The destination was the Reserve, NM airport (T16). At appproimately 28NM from T16, the pilot located the airport via a standard green/white FAA light beacon.
At approximately 10NM from the airport, the PIC self-announced his location/position and intentions to land on RWY24. The PIC attempted to activate the mirls (runway lights) with multiple clicks on the aircraft's microphone. There was no response to these clicks.
The PIC circled the airport multiple times and was unable each time to activate the runway lights. The pilot stated that after his attempts to activate the runway lights around 2010 MDT, the runway was "barely" visible with the remaining daylight (there was no moonlight available at the time).
Based on his one and only previous flight to the airport a year earlier, the pilot decided to try to land on rwy 24 without the runway lights.
The PIC thought that with his onboard navigation systems and his knowledge of the runway location relative to operating airport light beacon, he could successfully/safely land on rwy 24 without runway lights in the dark.
The PIC entered the traffic pattern for rwy 24 and flew a complete traffic pattern, while simultaneously trying to activate the runway lights. On his final approach to the runway, he did not see the runway until it was too late to land.
The PIC went around and flew a complete traffic pattern. On this second attempt to land, he missed the edge of runway 24 by approximately 10 feet to the right. He unintentionally set the aircraft down in the grass to the right side of the runway. The PIC tried to steer the aircraft back to the runway using left rudder. Upon pulling onto the runway, he immediately crossed the narrow 50 foot wide runway and departed the left side of the runway. The left side of the runway is downhill and undulating. The PIC immediately lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft nosed down and came to an abrupt and complete stop.
The pilot sustained no injuries whatsoever. The PIC shut down all systems in the aircraft and exited the aircraft safely. There was no post-crash fire. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
ON 8 SEPTEMBER 2016, ^GIUSEPPE NIRTA,^ THE PIC, DEPARTED SOCORRO, NM (KONM) AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 MDT IN N563WT, A PA46-350T. THE WEATHER WAS VMC AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCT UNDER VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH ATC.
THE DESTINATION WAS THE RESERVE, NM AIRPORT (T16). AT APPPROIMATELY 28NM FROM T16, THE PILOT LOCATED THE AIRPORT VIA A STANDARD GREEN/WHITE FAA LIGHT BEACON.
AT APPROXIMATELY 10NM FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PIC SELF-ANNOUNCED HIS LOCATION/POSITION AND INTENTIONS TO LAND ON RWY24. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE MIRLS (RUNWAY LIGHTS) WITH MULTIPLE CLICKS ON THE AIRCRAFT'S MICROPHONE. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO THESE CLICKS.
THE PIC CIRCLED THE AIRPORT MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS UNABLE EACH TIME TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HIS ATTEMPTS TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AROUND 2010 MDT, THE RUNWAY WAS "BARELY" VISIBLE WITH THE REMAINING DAYLIGHT (THERE WAS NO MOONLIGHT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME).
BASED ON HIS ONE AND ONLY PREVIOUS FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT A YEAR EARLIER, THE PILOT DECIDED TO TRY TO LAND ON RWY 24 WITHOUT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS.
THE PIC THOUGHT THAT WITH HIS ONBOARD NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE RUNWAY LOCATION RELATIVE TO OPERATING AIRPORT LIGHT BEACON, HE COULD SUCCESSFULLY/SAFELY LAND ON RWY 24 WITHOUT RUNWAY LIGHTS IN THE DARK.
THE PIC ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 24 AND FLEW A COMPLETE TRAFFIC PATTERN, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. ON HIS FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, HE DID NOT SEE THE RUNWAY UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO LAND.
THE PIC WENT AROUND AND FLEW A COMPLETE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ON THIS SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND, HE MISSED THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 24 BY APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET TO THE RIGHT. HE UNINTENTIONALLY SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN THE GRASS TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PIC TRIED TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE RUNWAY USING LEFT RUDDER. UPON PULLING ONTO THE RUNWAY, HE IMMEDIATELY CROSSED THE NARROW 50 FOOT WIDE RUNWAY AND DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IS DOWNHILL AND UNDULATING. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED DOWN AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT AND COMPLETE STOP.
THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES WHATSOEVER. THE PIC SHUT DOWN ALL SYSTEMS IN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.