Aircraft Struck Ground During Night Return to Runway 8 (N444BP)

Incident Overview and Pilot Actions During a local-area personal night flight, the pilot observed lightning to the north of the aircraft's position and elected to return to the airport to land. While on a two-mile final approach for runway 8, the aircraft settled and struck the ground. The pilot stated that he believed he encountered a low-level wind shear during the approach. ## Weather and Operational Conditions At the time of the incident, weather conditions included scattered clouds, visibility of 10 miles, and wind from 160 degrees at 18 knots. The pilot reported flying at 6,000 feet MSL, while the accident site elevation was 5,689 feet MSL. ## Wind Shear Alert Equipment An airport located approximately 7 miles northwest of the accident site was equipped with low-level wind shear alert equipment. The equipment was operational at the time, but it did not sound an alarm.