# NTSB investigations: Runway lighting NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports. ## Latest cases - [NTSB WPR26LA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA182.md): American AA-5 · Jurupa Valley, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 12, 2026 · N5832L · Substantial damage > The pilot’s decision to land at night on a runway without illuminated runway lights. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to review NOTAMs for a nightly airport closure. - [NTSB ERA26LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA102.md): Cessna 172 · New Castle, DE · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 29, 2026 · N969FG · Substantial damage > The pilots’ failure to properly identify the assigned runway during the landing approach, which resulted in the airplane landing on a closed, snow-covered runway. Contributing was the illumination of the closed runway’s edge lighting. - [NTSB CEN25LA354](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA354.md): Cessna 152 · Baldwin City, KS · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 30, 2025 · N89585 · Substantial damage > The pilot’s decision to continue the night landing without runway lights which resulted in the runway overrun. - [NTSB ERA24FA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24FA050.md): Piper PA32R · Attalla, AL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Nov 27, 2023 · N4187Q · Destroyed > The undetected wear of both pawl retaining rivets of the left magneto impulse coupling and fatigue failure of one pawl retaining rivet, which led to cascading fractures of the second pawl retaining rivet, left gear retainer assembly, and gear teeth of… - [NTSB WPR23LA293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA293.md): Piper PA-28-235 · Port Angeles, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 30, 2023 · N8675W · Substantial damage > The pilot’s inadequate fuel monitoring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. - [NTSB CEN23LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA097.md): Cessna 172L · Cleveland, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 29, 2023 · N621EW · Substantial damage > The pilot’s decision to attempt the night flight under visual flight rules when instrument meteorological conditions prevailed resulting in the airplane striking trees while on final approach. Contributing to the accident were the unserviceable runway lights… - [NTSB DCA23LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA23LA125.md): Boeing 737-900ER · Queens, NY · Incident · No injuries · Class 1 · Limited · Final report · Jan 14, 2023 · N914DU · 2 aircraft · No damage > The American Airlines flight 106 (AAL106) crew’s surface navigation error due to distractions caused by their performance of concurrent operational tasks during taxi, which resulted in a loss of situational awareness. Contributing to the incident was the air… - [NTSB CEN22LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA171.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Peyton, CO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Apr 8, 2022 · N248G · Substantial damage > The pilot’s decision to not activate the runway lighting and misjudged the runway location, which resulted in a collision with a windsock. - [NTSB CEN21LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA136.md): Learjet 55 · Jeffersonville, IN · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 19, 2021 · N559RA · Substantial damage > The flight crew’s failure to verify the correct runway for landing, which resulted in a landing on a snow contaminated runway and resulting damage to the airplane. The illumination of the lights associated with the closed runway contributed to the accident. - [NTSB ERA21LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA020.md): Aero Commander 100 · Citra, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Oct 14, 2020 · N631PF · Substantial damage > The student pilot’s inadequate preflight planning likely due to impairment from ethanol, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing was his improper decision to depart from an unlit airstrip in dark night conditions. - [NTSB GAA18CA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA069.md): Weaver David A Pulsar 912XP · Plato Center, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 2, 2017 · N912GR · Substantial damage > The pilot’s decision to continue to land without visual reference to the airport in low light conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inability to activate the private airport’s pilot-controlled lighting system due to its configuration. - [NTSB GAA16CA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA005.md): Raytheon A36 · Monterey, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 6, 2015 · N53WW · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to see and avoid runway signage during taxi after landing, resulting in a collision and substantial damage to the left wing of the airplane. - [NTSB CEN15LA229](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA229.md): Bell 206L 3 · Chesterfield, MO · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 7, 2015 · N127AE · Substantial damage > The collision of the helicopter's skid shoe with the runway centerline light during landing, which abruptly stopped the helicopter and resulted in damage to the fuselage. - [NTSB CEN13FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA067.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Hillsdale, MI · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 21, 2012 · N40781 · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a straight-in night visual flight rules approach to land in hazy weather conditions. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of recent night flying experience, the nonfunctional… - [NTSB WPR10CA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10CA035.md): Piper PA-28-140 · Angwin, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 30, 2009 · N1721T · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to properly identify the runway surface for takeoff and his subsequent failure to abort the takeoff when he realized he was not on the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to select the appropriate radio frequency… - [NTSB CEN09FA601](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09FA601.md): Cessna T210 · Hilltop Lakes, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 24, 2009 · N9734Y · Destroyed > The loss of control of the airplane in dark night light conditions due to the pilot’s spatial disorientation. - [NTSB ERA09CA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA007.md): Cirrus Design SR20 · Chester, CT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 7, 2008 · N889LD · Substantial damage > The pilot’s failure to obtain the proper touchdown point while landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s inexperience landing at the airport, night conditions, and non-standard runway lighting. - [NTSB LAX08CA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA156.md): Cessna 172P · Troutdale, OR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 24, 2008 · N62348 · Substantial damage > The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in collision with a runway light. ## The whole list in SQL Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS: ```sql SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1 WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT f.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f WHERE starts_with(f."findingCode", '03017015')) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC ``` This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017015/cases --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.