N988FX – Cessna 208 – 2020-02-07 NTSB Accident Report

On February 07, 2020, a Cessna 208 (N988FX) was involved in an incident near Baltimore, MD. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the approach lights during an instrument approach.

The pilot was conducting an instrument landing system approach in night instrument meteorological conditions to the destination airport. The pilot was utilizing the autopilot for the approach and disengaged it when he had the runway and airport lighting system in view. As he approached the runway, the pilot heard a sound and thought the airplane had hit a bird. He felt the airplane pitch up so he increased engine power and pitched down in order to reach the runway. After the pilot landed and taxied to the ramp, he saw that a large piece of an approach light was caught on the airplane's right main landing gear. Further inspection revealed that the airplane's empennage, right horizontal stabilizer, right wing strut, and front cargo pod were also damaged.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA20CA095. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N988FX.