20260531008909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Smith AEROSTAR 600A · Bonifay, FL · May 31, 2026

Date: May 31, 2026 · 21:00 local
Place: Bonifay, FL
Airport: Bonifay
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N211W
Reported as: Smith Aerostar 600A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,025 total105 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days

N211WRegistered now · Smith AEROSTAR 600AS/N 60-0460-153 Airframe modelSmith AEROSTAR 600A

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

After being diverted to an alternate airport due to weather, an approach was made but pilot was unable to identify the runway due to being unable to activate the runway lights. Pilot made a 360 degree turn and identified what was thought to be the runway. Pilot landed on the taxiway striking an airport elevation marker and taxiway sign before coming to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER BEING DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT DUE TO WEATHER, AN APPROACH WAS MADE BUT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE RUNWAY DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. PILOT MADE A 360 DEGREE TURN AND IDENTIFIED WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE RUNWAY. PILOT LANDED ON THE TAXIWAY STRIKING AN AIRPORT ELEVATION MARKER AND TAXIWAY SIGN BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.

Other reports on N211W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20171027021289ATakeoff: Rotation · Tallahassee, FLThe pilot retracted the gears after takeoff rotation and during this phase of flight the aircraft settled down back onto the runway veering off the runway to the grass.Oct 27, 2017 · Substantial damage