On July 4, 1999, a Piper PA-28R-200 (registration N1996T) was involved in an aviation accident near Dongola, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the failure of the pilot to maintain a proper glidepath on the landing approach, and the failure of the pilot to select a proper touchdown point. Factors to the accident were the lack of runway lights, the dusk light condition, and the ditch. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landing at a private airport on a dark runway overran the end, colliding with a ditch embankment. The pilot said he was slightly high and aimed for a point where terrain drop-off lessened.
Accident Overview
At 2050, an aircraft operating at a private airport ran off the end of the runway during landing and collided with a ditch embankment. The airport lacked runway lights. Sunset on the accident day occurred at 2021, and the end of civil twilight was recorded at 2052.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that during the approach he was slightly high. He noted that the north end of the airport had been undergoing work and that the terrain dropped off steeply on both sides. The pilot stated that he aimed for a point where the terrain no longer dropped off so steeply. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft overran the runway and struck a ditch embankment.
Environmental Conditions
No information about weather conditions, aircraft type, registration, or occupant status was provided in the source. The accident took place at a private airport without runway lighting, during a period after sunset but before the end of civil twilight.