Accident Details
An aircraft collided with an unmarked pile of dirt located off the approach end of the runway at Harrison County Airport. The runway was undergoing an extension at the time, and mounds of fill dirt, standing between 5.5 and 6 feet tall, had been left in the approach path.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that he was making a slightly lower than normal power setting on approach. He reported that he did not see the dirt mounds and subsequently struck them. The pilot's account indicates that his visual scan did not detect the obstruction in time to avoid impact.
Obstruction Conditions
The investigation revealed that the dirt mounds were not suitably illuminated. The lack of proper lighting or marking made the obstacles difficult to identify, particularly under the conditions of the approach. The unmarked nature of the piles contributed to the pilot's inability to see them before contact.