What happened
During a night approach in darkness, an aircraft attempted to land for the third time following two previous go-arounds. The weather at the time consisted of a 500-foot ceiling, 1.5 miles of visibility, and light freezing drizzle.
Upon landing, the aircraft experienced a hard impact that resulted in the collapse of the right main gear, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway. The pilot reported using an approach speed higher than normal to account for the weight of ice accumulation on the airframe, as deicing equipment was being utilized during the flight.
According to the pilot, the control tower had increased the intensity of the runway lights to assist with visual contact. However, the pilot stated that these bright lights caused optical distortion and created the illusion of being lower than the actual altitude.