Piper PA24 N8220P

Summary

On 4 October 2018 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA24 registered N8220P was involved in an accident near Winder, Georgia, United States. 2 people were 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

4 October 2018 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Winder, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Barrow County (WDR)

Coordinates

33.9803, -83.6608

Aircraft

Piper PA24

Registration

N8220P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winder → Winder

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

GAA19CA016

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate approach path at night after an electrical failure, which resulted in the airplane striking runway lights.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a night flight, while lowering the flaps for landing, the cockpit lights turned off. He attempted to turn the lights back on to no avail. He added that the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights were off and that he could not get the runway lights to turn on either. As he was landing past "the first arrow in front [chevron in the displaced threshold]," he heard a "thump." He taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident. The passenger, an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported that, during approach after the cockpit lights went out, he used his flashlight to light up the cockpit. He was unable to correct the panel lights but observed that the runway lights were "bright." He added that, during the landing, he felt the "bottom drop out" and that the airplane landed hard and bounced. Postaccident examination revealed that the right horizontal stabilator sustained substantial damage. The pilot added that he and the passenger went to the beginning of the approach runway and found pieces of broken runway lights. Archived NOTAMs for the date of the accident stated that: RWY 31 PAPI UNUSABLE

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.