Airplane Strikes Runway Threshold Light After Sudden Wind Change

Incident Overview

A commercial pilot and a passenger were returning to the airport after completing a pipeline patrol. As the airplane approached the airport, the pilot listened to the recorded weather and contacted the air traffic control tower. The reported wind was steady at 12 to 15 knots from 170 degrees. The pilot was cleared to land on runway 18.

Landing Approach

The pilot stated that he set up for a short field landing in order to make the first taxiway on the right. Just before reaching the runway threshold, the wind either quit or abruptly reduced, and the airplane started to sink rapidly. The pilot thought he had cleared the runway threshold lights and added a little back pressure on the flight control yoke.

Impact and Damage

The airplane's left horizontal stabilizer struck a runway threshold light, resulting in substantial damage to the stabilizer. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the flight.