What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 05/11/2026 privacy data omitted departed krir at 7:41PM local time in daylight visual meteorological conditions, with the pilot as the only occupant and under visual flight rules. The pilot described his intent for the flight as "the goal of renewing my VFR night currency. I had not landed at krir at night previously." After other flight activity, the pilot initated approach to krir runway 24 for landing at 8:20PM local time. The pilot stated that during landing approach "the runway lights were off. I tried to turn on the runway lights repeatedly," but ultimately "without success." At some point during approach the pilot "lost viual contact with the runway." The pilot continued inbound to the runway and "realized I was not over the runway," before impacting the ground. The aircraft impacted the ground south of runway 24, and sustained significant damage to it's nose, propeller, right main landing gear assembly, right aileron, empenage fins, left horizontal stabilizer, and left flap. The aircraft's right aileron counterweight, nose landing gear assembly and left main landing gear assembly, physically separated from the aircraft. The aircraft's fuselage collapsed and/or deformed in a number of areas. The pilot reported "I was not hurt," and that "there was no fire." Physical evidence suggests that the aircraft struck and deformed metal gating along a drain channel on the south side boundary of the airport before impacting an ungroomed terrain area beyond the runway infield. Available documentation establishes that sunset on 05/11/2026 was at 8:04PM local time. Airport management reported that krir was closed at night and a published NOTAM provided by flight service station reads "rir rwy 06/24 clsd dly ss-sr 2512150042-2611191427." The pilot of the aircraft provided a statement that reads "I was not aware of the semi-permanent NOTAM that krir is closed at night. It is likely that I saw it in the past but didn’t notice," and also "I did not consider deviating to a different airport despite not being able to turn the runway lights on. The explicit goal to achieve night currency and practice night operations at krir together with my familiarity with the plane and airport were likely a contributing factor." Investigation determined the pilot was qualified at the time of the event, and that the airplane was in compliance with 14 CFR.
As the FAA filed it
ON 05/11/2026 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED KRIR AT 7:41PM LOCAL TIME IN DAYLIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WITH THE PILOT AS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. THE PILOT DESCRIBED HIS INTENT FOR THE FLIGHT AS "THE GOAL OF RENEWING MY VFR NIGHT CURRENCY. I HAD NOT LANDED AT KRIR AT NIGHT PREVIOUSLY." AFTER OTHER FLIGHT ACTIVITY, THE PILOT INITATED APPROACH TO KRIR RUNWAY 24 FOR LANDING AT 8:20PM LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING LANDING APPROACH "THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE OFF. I TRIED TO TURN ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS REPEATEDLY," BUT ULTIMATELY "WITHOUT SUCCESS." AT SOME POINT DURING APPROACH THE PILOT "LOST VIUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY." THE PILOT CONTINUED INBOUND TO THE RUNWAY AND "REALIZED I WAS NOT OVER THE RUNWAY," BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SOUTH OF RUNWAY 24, AND SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO IT'S NOSE, PROPELLER, RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY, RIGHT AILERON, EMPENAGE FINS, LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND LEFT FLAP. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT AILERON COUNTERWEIGHT, NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY, PHYSICALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE COLLAPSED AND/OR DEFORMED IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. THE PILOT REPORTED "I WAS NOT HURT," AND THAT "THERE WAS NO FIRE." PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND DEFORMED METAL GATING ALONG A DRAIN CHANNEL ON THE SOUTH SIDE BOUNDARY OF THE AIRPORT BEFORE IMPACTING AN UNGROOMED TERRAIN AREA BEYOND THE RUNWAY INFIELD. AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION ESTABLISHES THAT SUNSET ON 05/11/2026 WAS AT 8:04PM LOCAL TIME. AIRPORT MANAGEMENT REPORTED THAT KRIR WAS CLOSED AT NIGHT AND A PUBLISHED NOTAM PROVIDED BY FLIGHT SERVICE STATION READS "RIR RWY 06/24 CLSD DLY SS-SR 2512150042-2611191427." THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT PROVIDED A STATEMENT THAT READS "I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SEMI-PERMANENT NOTAM THAT KRIR IS CLOSED AT NIGHT. IT IS LIKELY THAT I SAW IT IN THE PAST BUT DIDN’T NOTICE," AND ALSO "I DID NOT CONSIDER DEVIATING TO A DIFFERENT AIRPORT DESPITE NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE RUNWAY LIGHTS ON. THE EXPLICIT GOAL TO ACHIEVE NIGHT CURRENCY AND PRACTICE NIGHT OPERATIONS AT KRIR TOGETHER WITH MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE PLANE AND AIRPORT WERE LIKELY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR." INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE PILOT WAS QUALIFIED AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5832L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.