What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was on a cross country flight from K69K - ksaz - K69K to pick up a passenger for the holidays.
With forecasted IFR weather the pilot with a passengers made a decision to test himself and his planes limitations merely to meet a perceived need to proceed.
Flying at night, very low visibility, in clouds, to an unfamiliar airport, very low on fuel, pilot in a selfmade bind, made a decision to descend into bad weather, aircraft collected enough ice to completely obscure view through windscreen resulting in the pilot have to fly the aircraft at speeds greater than 120 knots to maintain some control of the aircraft.
Pilot tried several times to key mic to turn on runway lights and was unsuccssful. Made an approach and line up on runway using only the aircraft equiped GPS.
Touchdown on runway fast with a high descent rate, aircraft bounced three time resulting in nose landing gear wheel departing the aircraft, the prop and starboard wing tip striking the runway causing heavy damage to the outboard two feet of the wing.
Both pilot and passenger got out of the plane with no injuries.
Post crash inspection of aircraft revealed that the push to talk wiring harness was broken at pilots yoke. Heavy damage to starboard wing tip, the nose landing gear wheel broke off and a propeller strike that had approximately eight inches of both blade tip bent backwards.
Recommend pilot for a 44709 re-exam.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM K69K - KSAZ - K69K TO PICK UP A PASSENGER FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
WITH FORECASTED IFR WEATHER THE PILOT WITH A PASSENGERS MADE A DECISION TO TEST HIMSELF AND HIS PLANES LIMITATIONS MERELY TO MEET A PERCEIVED NEED TO PROCEED.
FLYING AT NIGHT, VERY LOW VISIBILITY, IN CLOUDS, TO AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT, VERY LOW ON FUEL, PILOT IN A SELFMADE BIND, MADE A DECISION TO DESCEND INTO BAD WEATHER, AIRCRAFT COLLECTED ENOUGH ICE TO COMPLETELY OBSCURE VIEW THROUGH WINDSCREEN RESULTING IN THE PILOT HAVE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 120 KNOTS TO MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
PILOT TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO KEY MIC TO TURN ON RUNWAY LIGHTS AND WAS UNSUCCSSFUL. MADE AN APPROACH AND LINE UP ON RUNWAY USING ONLY THE AIRCRAFT EQUIPED GPS.
TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY FAST WITH A HIGH DESCENT RATE, AIRCRAFT BOUNCED THREE TIME RESULTING IN NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PROP AND STARBOARD WING TIP STRIKING THE RUNWAY CAUSING HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE OUTBOARD TWO FEET OF THE WING.
BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER GOT OUT OF THE PLANE WITH NO INJURIES.
POST CRASH INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE PUSH TO TALK WIRING HARNESS WAS BROKEN AT PILOTS YOKE. HEAVY DAMAGE TO STARBOARD WING TIP, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL BROKE OFF AND A PROPELLER STRIKE THAT HAD APPROXIMATELY EIGHT INCHES OF BOTH BLADE TIP BENT BACKWARDS.
RECOMMEND PILOT FOR A 44709 RE-EXAM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.