Incident Description
Aircraft N458J was on approach for landing during a rain shower. As the airplane initiated the flare, a wind drift caused it to deviate to the right. The pilot began correcting the drift while the rain intensified. At touchdown, the pilot lost visual reference with the runway but continued the landing roll. The aircraft subsequently departed the left side of the runway and entered soft terrain, where it sustained damage beyond repair. Both pilots escaped uninjured.
Probable Cause
The official determination stated that the probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain visual reference with the runway during the landing, which led to a loss of directional control. Additionally, the pilot's failure to execute a go-around after losing sight of the runway was cited as a causal factor.
Contributing Factors
Contributing to the accident were the heavy rain conditions and the absence of runway centerline lights.