What happened
The pilot was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 7 when he reported visually acquiring the runway surface at an altitude of 250 feet above ground level. The published decision height for this specific approach procedure was 208 feet. Following this visual contact, the pilot executed a normal touchdown on the paved surface.
After landing, the aircraft continued its rollout along the 3,500-foot runway. It failed to stop before the end of the pavement and overran into a soft area beyond the threshold. During this overrun, the right main landing gear collapsed under the stress of the uneven terrain.
The investigation
Investigation of the event focused on the flight path and weather conditions at the time of the accident. At 1335 EDT, the airport reported significant weather impairments. Conditions included a 100-foot overcast cloud base and visibility reduced to one-half mile due to fog. Surface winds were from 220 degrees at 15 knots.
Findings
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 172R with registration N98SW. The pilot reported no injuries, and there were no fatalities among those on board. The crash resulted in substantial damage to the right main gear assembly.
The contributing factors included the low visibility and ceiling conditions which required precise altitude management during the final approach phase. The decision to continue the approach despite the marginal weather likely contributed to the inability to stop within the available runway length.