Socata TB 20 TRINIDAD N85AV

Summary

On 26 November 2014 at about 02:30 local time, a Socata TB 20 TRINIDAD registered N85AV, operated by Robert Herman, was involved in an accident near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 November 2014 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Hilton Head Island (HXD)

Coordinates

32.2244, -80.6975

Aircraft

Socata TB 20 TRINIDAD

Registration

N85AV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1985

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Herman

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Knoxville → Hilton Head Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA15CA065

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent selection of an incorrect frequency, which resulted in his inability to activate the airport lighting, and his subsequent decision to continue the approach in dark night conditions despite having not positively identified the runway environment.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting an instrument approach for landing in night instrument meteorological conditions. After receiving the approach clearance from air traffic control, the pilot tuned his communication radio to the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and attempted to activate the airport lighting by repeatedly pressing the push-to-talk switch. As the pilot continued to descend on the approach, he observed the approach path indicator lights, but could not see the runway edge lights, as they were not illuminated. He again attempted to activate the runway lights, to no avail. The pilot elected to continue the approach, which he described as "high and long," and during the landing roll, the airplane ran off the end of the runway and contacted an airport sign, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had touched down on a taxiway, and came to rest in a grassy area between the taxiway and the runway. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and believed he had incorrectly tuned the CTAF, which resulted in his inability to activate the airport lighting during the approach. Following the accident, a test of the airport's pilot-controlled lighting system revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.