- Date
- February 8, 2001, 19:30 local (Feb 9, 2001, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Miamisburg, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N62332Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010208038249A
- Case key
- 51724
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 attain the proper touchdown point. Factors included the nighttime conditions, and the pilot's improper decision to leave the runway lighting at high intensity.
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 was returning from a night pleasure flight, and for 30 minutes, had difficulty locating the airport. After he located what he thought was the correct airport, he turned the runway lights on, to high intensity, for confirmation. He left the runway lights on high intensity, and entered the traffic pattern. He then turned the airplane onto final, and "followed the VASI lights to the approach area." As the airplane touched down, it simultaneously struck the last approach light. The pilot stated that the approach lights and his low altitude during the approach prevented recognition of his height above the runway. The pilot had 92 hours of flight time.
Factual narrative
On February 8, 2001, about 1930 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 172P, N62332, was substantially damaged after landing short of the runway at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport (MGY), Miamisburg, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he was returning from a pleasure flight, and for 30 minutes, had difficulty locating the airport. After he located what he thought was the airport, he turned the runway lights on, to high intensity, to confirm it was the correct one. He left the runway lights on high intensity, and entered the traffic pattern for Runway 20. He then turned the airplane onto final, and "followed the VASI lights to the approach area." As the airplane touched down, it simultaneously struck the last approach light.
According to the pilot, "The approach lights and low altitude prevented recognition of actual height above the runway."
The pilot had 92 hours of flight time, with 30 hours in the preceding 90 days.
Winds at the airport, about the time of the landing, were from 150 degrees true, at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62332
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275251
- Airframe hours
- 6,493
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aviation Sales, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 15, 2001 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- MGY · Miamisburg, OH
- Destination
- Miamisburg, OH
- Airport
- MGY · Dayton-Wright Brothers, runway 20, 5,000 × 100 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 94 total · 83 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- MGY
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 N62332 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.