Night Instrument Approach Ends in Soybean Field Landing

Incident Overview and Approach Details During a night instrument approach, the pilot was executing an RNAV GPS Runway 08 procedure in instrument meteorological conditions. Approximately 50 feet above the 921-foot decision altitude, the pilot misidentified building lights as runway lights. This error led to an inadvertent touchdown in a soybean field located about three-quarters of a mile short of the runway. The pilot reported that the localizer lateral guidance was dead center, though he could not recall the position of the vertical guidance needle. No preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported that would have precluded normal operation. ## Recovery and Aircraft Damage After the initial field landing, the pilot increased engine power to full and climbed a couple hundred feet. He then established visual contact with the actual runway lights and completed the landing without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. ## Weather Conditions The automated weather observation station at the airport recorded conditions about five minutes after the accident: wind from 030° at 3 knots, visibility of 1/2 statute mile in mist, overcast at 200 feet AGL, temperature 57°F, and dew point 57°F. The pilot reported the airport ceiling as overcast at 300 feet AGL with fog and rain, and visibility of one mile.