- Date
- October 4, 2018, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Winder, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8220PPiper PA24
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 98462
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 failure to maintain an adequate approach path at night after an electrical failure, which resulted in the airplane striking runway lights.
Findings · 4
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, during a night flight, while lowering the flaps for landing, the cockpit lights turned off. He attempted to turn the lights back on to no avail. He added that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights were off and that he could not get the runway lights to turn on either. As he was landing past "the first arrow in front [chevron in the displaced threshold]," he heard a "thump." He taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. The passenger, an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported that, during approach after the cockpit lights went out, he used his flashlight to light up the cockpit. He was unable to correct the panel lights but observed that the runway lights were "bright." He added that, during the landing, he felt the "bottom drop out" and that the airplane landed hard and bounced. Postaccident examination revealed that the right horizontal stabilator sustained substantial damage. The pilot added that he and the passenger went to the beginning of the approach runway and found pieces of broken runway lights. Archived NOTAMs for the date of the accident stated that: RWY 31 PAPI UNUSABLE
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during a night flight, while lowering the flaps for landing, the cockpit lights turned off. He attempted to turn the lights back on, to no avail. He added that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights were off, and he could not get the runway lights to turn on either. As he was landing past "the first arrow in front [chevron in the displaced threshold]", he heard a "thump". He taxied to the ramp without further incident. The passenger, an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported that, during approach after the cockpit lights went out, he used his flashlight to light up the cockpit. He was unable to correct the panel lights but observed that the runway lights were "bright". He added that, during the landing, he felt the "bottom drop out" and the airplane landed hard and bounced. Postaccident examination revealed that the right horizontal stabilator sustained substantial damage. The pilot added that he and the passenger went to the beginning of the approach runway and found pieces of broken runway lights. Archived Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for the date of the accident stated that: RWY 31 PAPI UNUSABLE
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8220P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24 (250)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3473
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 5,145.31
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 2018
- Departed
- WDR · Winder, GA
- Destination
- WDR · Winder, GA
- Airport
- WDR · Barrow County, runway 31, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,226.5 total · 40.2 in this make and model · 181.1 as pilot in command · 8.6 in the last 90 days · 2.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KWDR
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
Other investigations on N8220P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.