Incident Details
Prior to landing, approach control informed the pilot that Boeing 737 training was being conducted on Runway 33. The pilot agreed to land on Runway 21 and hold short of Runway 33. The aircrews conducting the training were advised accordingly.
The aircraft was on final approach shortly after the tower closed at 2300 EST. The pilot did not see the runway lights; initially, he thought they were set on low intensity and obscured by hangar and ramp lights in the background. At 150 to 200 feet above ground level (AGL), he saw the runway illuminated by his landing lights and realized the runway lights were not on. He quickly decided to land rather than execute a go-around, which could conflict with traffic using Runway 33.
Shortly after reaching for the throttles to reduce power to idle and land, the plane stalled from 20 to 50 feet AGL and landed hard.
Investigation Findings
An investigation revealed that the pilot had inadvertently moved the propeller controls to the reverse pitch position. The pilot had been on duty since his first takeoff at 0600.