Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot misjudged his altitude and airspeed during landing. A related factor was the dark night conditions.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On October 31, 1998, at 2345 central standard time, a Cessna 172, N6713H, was substantially damaged during landing. The pilot was making a night landing to an unlighted grass runway. The airplane landed long and went off the end of the runway and nosed over in a field. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Poplar Bluff, Missouri, en route to Creve Coeur Airport, St. Louis, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he "...was too high at the threshold..." and, "...landed too far down the runway to allow the plane to stop before it ran off the end of the runway... ." He reported that the visibility was poor due to darkness. The pilot reported, "Better runway lighting could have prevented this accident...as could better pilot judgement... ."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI99LA018