What happened
At approximately 1/19:30 EST, a student pilot and an instructor were conducting night training circuits at Centralia/Huron Airpark, Ontario. The flight had departed from London, Ontario, for the purpose of practicing night visual approaches. During the third or fourth circuit for runway 10, the aircraft struck a tree approximately 3,000 feet short of the runway threshold.
Following the impact with the tree, the aircraft hit the ground in a steep, nose-down position and ended up inverted. The instructor sustained minor injuries and was able to walk to a nearby town to seek help. The student sustained serious injuries and remained in the wreckage until rescued by local authorities. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter activated upon impact.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft, the aerodrome, and the environmental conditions at the time of the crash. The aircraft was found to be in compliance with all maintenance and certification regulations, with no mechanical abnormalities or malfunctions identified. The aerodrome was operating according to standards, though it lacked approach lighting or glide path indicators for runway 10.
Investigators reviewed the flight experience of the crew, noting that the student had recently resumed flying after a long hiatus and had limited experience with night circuits without visual slope indicators. Weather conditions were initially clear, but an increasing cloud layer reduced ambient light from the moon. The investigation also focused on the lack of altitude monitoring by the crew during the final approach.
Findings
- The aircraft was descending well below the required final approach path in controlled flight.
- The crew did not monitor the aircraft's altitude using the altimeter during the approach.
- The landing environment and ambient light levels were highly conducive to the black-hole illusion, a phenomenon where pilots overestimate their altitude when approaching a runway over dark, featureless terrain.
- The student's previous night training had utilized wider runways equipped with visual approach slope indicators, whereas the current runway was narrower and lacked such guidance.
- The aircraft struck the tree with its left wing.