What happened
The incident occurred during nighttime operations when the pilot was conducting a landing roll. As the aircraft progressed along the runway, the pilot observed another aircraft directly ahead that had recently completed its landing sequence. A critical factor in the event was that the lead aircraft was not displaying any navigation or anti-collision lights, rendering it nearly invisible in the dark conditions.
Due to the lack of visual cues from the stationary or slow-moving aircraft ahead, a collision occurred between the two planes. Both aircraft came to a complete stop on the runway surface following the impact. Despite the severity of the physical contact, there were no injuries reported among the pilots and passengers aboard either aircraft.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that both aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the collision. The investigation focused on the visibility conditions and the operational status of the lead aircraft's lighting systems during the critical landing phase.
Findings
The primary contributing factor was the failure of the lead aircraft to display required lights during nighttime operations, which prevented the following pilot from identifying the obstacle in time to avoid contact. Substantial damage was recorded for both involved aircraft. Fortunately, all individuals on board were not injured. The event highlights the critical importance of functioning lighting systems for visibility and collision avoidance during night flights.