What happened
The aircraft was operating at an airport where the runway was undergoing active construction. A new section of pavement was being added to the existing runway infrastructure. This ongoing work was documented in a published Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), alerting pilots to the conditions.
The pilot had previously been performing touch-and-go landings at the facility. During this specific event, the pilot elected to execute a full stop landing. As the aircraft touched down on the newly constructed portion of the runway, it encountered a 12-inch vertical separation bar located at the intersection where the old and new pavement sections met. The aircraft impacted this separation structure.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the physical conditions of the runway at the time of the incident. Investigators confirmed that the runway was indeed under construction with a new section being added to the old runway. A published NOTAM existed covering this construction activity, providing official notice of the changes to the airfield environment.
Findings
The primary factor in this event was the interaction between the aircraft and the physical infrastructure of the runway. The pilot landed on the new portion of the runway and subsequently impacted a 12-inch separation bar at the intersection of the old and new portions. The presence of the construction-related vertical discontinuity, despite the published NOTAM, resulted in the impact.