- Date
- January 14, 1993, 01:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Goldsboro, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8409APiper PA-32R-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930114000339A
- Case key
- 8722
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision in attempting a night landing at an airport without operating runway lights which resulted in a touchdown off the runway. Factors which contributed to the accident were: an airplane lighting malfunction for an undetermined reason(s) and the dark night light condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that about 40 miles from his destination, the airplane's lights blinked on and off due to a short in the system. He elected to land at Goldsboro, aware that the runway lights were inoperative. The airplane landed about 20 ft left of the runway, in the grass, and collided with a piece of cultivating equipment. During examination of the wreckage, the landing light was operated several times & functioned normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8409A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-8113084
- Airframe hours
- 1,723
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G-5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- High Cotton, Inc.
- Registered owner
- High Cotton, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 28, 1992 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- FDW · Winnsboro, SC
- Destination
- ISO · Kinston, NC
- Airport
- GWW · Goldsboro Wayne Muni, runway 23, 5,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 879 total · 229 in this make and model · 802 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GSB, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.