Overview
A Cirrus SR20 pilot flying under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to an airport he had previously visited experienced a hard landing and subsequent runway excursion. The airport was privately owned but publicly used, featuring non-standard lighting that was dim and not controllable from the cockpit. The pilot was concerned about the runway length—2,566 feet long and 50 feet wide—which was significantly shorter than he was accustomed to, as well as a steep drop-off at the runway ends.
Approach and Landing
Approximately 6 miles from the airport, the pilot observed the airport lighting and continued a visual approach to runway 35, an asphalt runway. Runway 35 was not equipped with a visual slope indicator. The pilot noted that the night was especially dark with an absence of visual cues. During the landing, the pilot reported that the landing was hard, and he "chopped" the power completely and applied the brakes. About 1,500 feet down the runway, braking effectiveness and directional control were lost. The airplane veered left, exited the runway through a fiberglass fence, proceeded down an embankment, and came to rest in pine trees.
Post-Accident Observations
An FAA inspector who responded stated that the airplane impacted up-sloping terrain 6 feet before the runway pavement began. After that, the airplane traveled about three-quarters of the runway length before exiting the left side. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, fuselage underside, and all three landing gears. Both main landing gear brake fluid supply fittings were broken off.