What happened
On October 1, 2018, a Cessna 340, registration N89AM, was performing an RNAV GPS RNY 08 instrument approach at night in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) near Keokuk, Iowa. While approximately 50 feet above the decision altitude of 921 feet, the pilot misidentified lights from a building as runway lights. This error led to the aircraft touching down in a soybean field approximately 3/4 mile short of the runway.
Following the touchdown, the pilot increased engine power to full, climbed several hundred feet, and established visual contact with the actual runway lights. The pilot then completed the landing on the runway without further incident. There were no injuries resulting from the event.
At the time of the accident, the pilot reported a ceiling of 300 feet AGL with fog and rain and visibility of one mile. An automated weather station at the airport reported conditions approximately five minutes after the event as having a 200-foot AGL overcast, 1/2 statute mile visibility in mist, and winds from 030° at 3 knots.
The investigation
The investigation found that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that the lateral guidance from the localizer was centered, though he could not recall the position of the vertical guidance needle. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation of the aircraft.