Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-235 near Brooksville, FL — 2014-05-09

Final reportERA14LA244
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Date
2014-05-09
Location
Brooksville, FL, USA
Airport
BKV
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-235
Registration
N8683W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of directional control while landing at night, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with airport signage. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of electrical power, which necessitated the pilot having to land without the aid of the airplane’s landing lights and some of the available runway lighting.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the flight departed about 2 hours after sunset and that, several minutes after departure, the airplane's lights began to dim. The pilot reduced the electrical load; however, within several minutes, the airplane lost all electrical power. The pilot chose to continue to the destination airport, which was located 21 nautical miles from the departure airport and was within sight. Upon reaching the airport, the pilot used the runway end identifier lights and the runway's visual approach slope indicator lights to guide the airplane to the runway threshold. Due to the lack of electrical power, he was unable to use the airplane's radio to activate the other available runway lighting or use the airplane's landing lights to help him further locate the runway after crossing the threshold. The pilot misjudged the airplane's height above the runway, and, during the landing flare from an estimated height of about 4 or 5 ft, the airplane impacted the runway. The airplane then veered right, departed the runway, struck an airport sign, and was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination revealed that the alternator had failed, which likely led to the airplane's total loss of electrical power. Review of the airplane's maintenance logs found that no maintenance related to the alternator had been documented in the airplane's 50-year and 2,600-flight-hour history. A survey of airports near the airplane's route of flight showed no continuously lighted airports located within a reasonable distance of the airplane's route.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen to land at an alternate airport with lighting.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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