What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The low time pilot became slightly disoriented, at dusk, with respect to airport location/distance after excecuting a missed approach from rwy 36. He re-entered pattern to make an approach to rwy 18 and had turned (left) base to final. He was avoiding a power line to the right of rwy 18 center line and was aware of the need to maintain safe altitude over us rt 50 highway (approx 1/2 mile north of rwy 18). He had the rwy 18 lights in sight, but he could not see the PAPI. He became distracted by disagreement of garmin navigation system announced airspeed and altitude as compared to aircraft instruments. Brightness of the garmin display was a factor and he did not know how to dim it. His garmin checkout was conducted during daylight conditions. A large unlit area on final (impact area) of rwy 18 caused dark hole effect. Pilot lost awareness of altitude and impacted approx 1 mile north of rwy 18. This is a cfit accident.
Weather: METAR kcgs 302226Z auto 12003KT 10SM clr 11/06 A3006 rmk AO1 T01120056
As the FAA filed it
THE LOW TIME PILOT BECAME SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED, AT DUSK, WITH RESPECT TO AIRPORT LOCATION/DISTANCE AFTER EXCECUTING A MISSED APPROACH FROM RWY 36. HE RE-ENTERED PATTERN TO MAKE AN APPROACH TO RWY 18 AND HAD TURNED (LEFT) BASE TO FINAL. HE WAS AVOIDING A POWER LINE TO THE RIGHT OF RWY 18 CENTER LINE AND WAS AWARE OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN SAFE ALTITUDE OVER US RT 50 HIGHWAY (APPROX 1/2 MILE NORTH OF RWY 18). HE HAD THE RWY 18 LIGHTS IN SIGHT, BUT HE COULD NOT SEE THE PAPI. HE BECAME DISTRACTED BY DISAGREEMENT OF GARMIN NAVIGATION SYSTEM ANNOUNCED AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE AS COMPARED TO AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS. BRIGHTNESS OF THE GARMIN DISPLAY WAS A FACTOR AND HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DIM IT. HIS GARMIN CHECKOUT WAS CONDUCTED DURING DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. A LARGE UNLIT AREA ON FINAL (IMPACT AREA) OF RWY 18 CAUSED DARK HOLE EFFECT. PILOT LOST AWARENESS OF ALTITUDE AND IMPACTED APPROX 1 MILE NORTH OF RWY 18. THIS IS A CFIT ACCIDENT.
WEATHER: METAR KCGS 302226Z AUTO 12003KT 10SM CLR 11/06 A3006 RMK AO1 T01120056
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.