No fatalities

5 Sep 2019: Cessna 182 J — Charleston, WV

Charleston, WV, United States

On 5 Sep 2019, a Cessna 182 J was involved in an aviation accident near Charleston, WV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper approach path at night and his misjudgment of the landing point, which resulted in landing short of the runway and impact with the runway's engineered materials arrestor system. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During night landing practice, a pilot misjudged the approach and touched down on an engineered materials arrestor system before the runway threshold, causing substantial damage to the fuselage.

Incident Overview

A pilot conducting landings for night currency experienced a misjudged approach, resulting in the airplane landing short on an engineered materials arrestor system (EMAS) prior to the runway threshold. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions occurred that would have precluded normal operation.

Airport and Terrain

The approach end of the runway is situated near the edge of a plateau on which the airport is located. Rising terrain leads up to the approach end, and the terrain prior to the runway is approximately 370 feet lower than the approach end of the runway.

NOTAMs

Archived Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for the accident date indicated that Runway 05's visual approach slope indicator (VASI) was out of service, and the runway 05 runway end identifier lights (REIL) were also out of service.

Aircraft Damage

The substantial damage was limited to the fuselage; no other damage items were reported.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operationEffect on personnel

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeApproach lighting