What happened
The pilot was conducting a night visual approach toward an airport featuring a 3,000-foot runway. As the aircraft descended for landing, the pilot reported that the runway lighting system suddenly disappeared from view just moments before touchdown. In response to this loss of visual reference, the pilot applied power to initiate a go-around maneuver. However, the aircraft was unable to gain sufficient altitude and struck rising terrain located short of the runway threshold.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the scene and provided details regarding the final position of the aircraft. The inspection revealed that the airplane had actually touched down approximately 30 feet before the end of the runway. Furthermore, the point of impact was recorded as being 5 feet below the level of the runway surface, indicating a significant descent below the glide path prior to striking the ground.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates a critical loss of visual cues during the final phase of flight. The sudden disappearance of runway lights left the pilot without necessary visual references for alignment and altitude control. The subsequent impact with rising terrain short of the runway highlights the dangers associated with night approaches when lighting systems fail or are not visible.