Brockport, NY, USA
N7878G
Cessna 172L
At the completion of a night, cross-country flight, the pilot attempted to land at his home airpark under dark night conditions. The rotating beacon was operating, and per the NOTAM in effect, the runway and taxiway lights were inoperative. The pilot made an approach, then went around because he could not see the runway "soon enough." The pilot made another approach, and again attempted to go around. Shortly after commencing the go-around attempt, the airplane impacted the ground about 300 feet to the right of, and 700 feet from the approach end of the runway. The impact point was also 50 feet to the right of the parallel taxiway. There were no mechanical malfunctions noted.
On August 12, 2001, at 2255 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N7878G, was substantially damaged during an off-runway landing at Ledgedale Airpark (7G0), Brockport, New York. The certificated airline transport pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file for the flight, from Akron Fulton International Airport (AKR), Akron, Ohio, to Brockport. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, the flight from Akron was uneventful. Upon arrival at Ledgedale, "the airport beacon was operating, [and] as expected from NOTAM, runway and taxiway lights were inop." The pilot attempted a landing on runway 28, then went around because he couldn't see the runway "soon enough." He flew around the pattern again, made another approach to runway 28, and "attempted another go around for the same reason." Shortly after commencing the second go around attempt, the airplane impacted the ground. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane landed to the right of the taxiway that paralleled runway 28. The left wing struck the ground, the nose wheel collapsed, and the lower part of the cabin was crushed. The airpark was the pilot's home base. According to a police report, the airplane was found approximately 50 feet north of the parallel taxiway, about 700 feet from the approach end of the runway. The taxiway was about 250 feet north of the runway. The pilot did not note any mechanical problems, and a subsequent inspection by FAA personnel, together with investigators from the airframe and engine manufacturers, did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Weather, recorded at an airport 12 nautical miles to the southeast, about the time of the accident, included calm winds, a broken cloud layer at 7,000 feet, and an overcast cloud layer at 8,500 feet. A witness reported that there was no moon, and fire department personnel reported difficulty in finding the airplane due to the darkness.
The pilot's delayed go-around during the landing attempt. Factors included the dark night conditions and the pilot's inadequate preflight decision to fly to an airport with inoperative surface lighting.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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