- Date
- December 2, 2017, 16:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Plato Center, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N912GRWeaver David A Pulsar 912XP
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171202022359A
- Case key
- 96427
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 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.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while making a straight-in approach to a private airport just after dusk, but before dark, he attempted to activate the pilot-controlled lighting (PCL) but was unsuccessful. He added that he continued toward the airport, and while maneuvering for landing, he lost sight of the airport. The pilot did not regain visual reference of the airport during the landing descent, and the airplane impacted a fence adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport owner reported that the PCL antenna required line-of-sight with the aircraft to operate the PCL system. Due to the antenna's position and hangars on the airport, the antenna did not receive signals from the southeast, the direction from which the accident airplane was approaching. He added that, because the airport was private, he could not issue a NOTAM to describe the operation of the runway lights.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while making a straight-in approach to a private airport just after dusk, but before dark, he attempted to activate the pilot controlled lighting (PCL), but was unsuccessful. He added that he continued toward the airport, and while maneuvering for landing he lost sight of the airport. The pilot did not regain visual reference of the airport during the landing descent, and the airplane impacted a fence adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport owner reported that the PCL antenna requires line-of-sight with the aircraft to operate the PCL system. Presently, due to the antenna's position and hangars on the airport, the antenna does not receive signals from the southeast, the direction from which the accident airplane was approaching. He added that, since the airport was private, he could not issue Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) to describe the operation of the runway lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912GR
- Reported as
- Weaver David A Pulsar 912XP (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 329
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 542
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 30, 2017
- Departed
- LWV · Lawrenceville, IL
- Destination
- LL53 · Plato Center, IL
- Airport
- LL53 · Olson, runway SW, 2,400 × 70 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 8, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 490 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KDPA, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N912GR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.