On January 12, 1991, a Beech 200 (registration N200MR) operated by United Executive Jet was involved in an aviation accident near Vichy, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A RESTRICTED VISUAL OUTLOOK AND GO-AROUND WAS NOT PERFORMED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE A DARK NIGHT, FOG AND GLARE, ICE COVERED RUNWAY AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 9 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a VOR approach on a dark, foggy night, the pilot lost depth perception and ground contact after turning on landing lights on short final, resulting in a hard landing that damaged the wing spar, engine mount, and propeller. The runway was covered in 3 inches of ice causing glare.
Incident Overview
While executing a VOR approach on a dark, foggy night, the pilot encountered difficulty when the landing lights were activated on short final. The illumination caused a loss of depth perception and ground contact, leading to a hard landing before corrective action could take effect.
Aircraft Damage
The hard landing resulted in damage to the wing spar, engine mounting support, and propeller. No other damage items were reported.
Runway Conditions
The runway and the entire airport were covered with approximately 3 inches of mirror-smooth ice. This ice caused considerable glare, which likely compounded the visual challenges during the approach and landing.