GA SMA STALLED OUT ON NIGHT LNDG APCH TO NON TWR ARPT. ACFT DAMAGED STRANDED.

1988-11 · NASA ASRS report 98089

Date: 1988-11 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control

Synopsis

GA SMA STALLED OUT ON NIGHT LNDG APCH TO NON TWR ARPT. ACFT DAMAGED STRANDED.

Narrative

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO GIVE INSTRUMENT DUAL TO A PVT PLT IN HIS ACFT. WE GOT IN THE AIR AT APPROX XB50 AM LCL. THE TRIP TO M04 WAS UNEVENTFUL. ONCE WE WERE THERE THE STUDENT AND PAX PICKED UP A CAR TO DO BUSINESS IN TOWN. HE ALSO SAID THEY'D BE BACK TO THE ARPT BY XC00 PM LCL. AT APPROX XX00 PM LCL; I CALLED DYERSBURG FSS AND RECEIVED A BRIEFING FOR AN IFR FLT TO REEDSBURG; WI; AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. AS I WAS WALKING OUT HE SAID THAT THEY HAD DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO GO TO WASHINGTON; MO. WHILE HE WAS INSIDE PAYING FOR FUEL PURCHASED I PREFLTED THE ACFT. I GOT AVGAS AND OIL ON MY HANDS AND WENT INSIDE TO WASH THEM. I WAS GOING TO CALL FSS AGAIN TO CHANGE MY FLT PLAN AND CHK ON THE WASHINGTON; MO ARPT; BUT SOMEONE WAS ON THE PHONE SO I DIDN'T TAKE TIME TO WAIT AS EVERYONE WAS STANDING AT THE AIRPLANE WAITING FOR ME. MY STUDENT SAID HE WAS TOO TIRED TO FLY AFTER ALL THAT HE HAD DONE THAT DAY AND WANTED ME TO FLY. I TAXIED OUT AND TOOK OFF VFR NW TO WASHINGTON; MO. I NEVER ACTIVATED THE IFR FLT PLAN. I HAD A LITTLE TROUBLE FINDING THE ARPT AS THE GREEN LIGHT ON THE BEACON WAS OUT AND I WAS ONLY SEEING A WHITE ROTATING LIGHT. I FLEW OVER THE ARPT TO LOOK IT OVER AND KEYED THE MIC 7 TIMES TO SEE IF I COULD TURN THE RWY LIGHTS UP; AS I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE RWY. THE LIGHT DID NOT COME UP; SO I ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE LOW INTENSITY LIGHTS OBSTRUCTED BY TALL GRASS. I LINED UP WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY AND DID A GUMPS; AND WENT AROUND AS I REALIZED IT WASN'T CORRECT AND THE ACFT OWNER/PVT PLT SAID THAT THE RWY WAS TO THE LEFT MORE. I DID A LEFT TURN OUT AND AS I LOWERED THE WING I SPOTTED THE RWY BELOW ME; AND THOUGHT I SAW LIGHTS COVERED BY GRASS. I SET UP A NORMAL PATTERN FOR THE RWY. I SAW THE CENTERLINE IN THE LIGHT FROM THE LNDG LIGHT (I WAS ON IT); I ALSO SAW RWY LIGHTS WHICH NOW I REALIZE WERE JUST REFLECTIONS FROM THE LNDG LIGHT ON THE RWY LIGHT GLOBES. THE PVT PLT/STUDENT/ACFT OWNER ON THE RIGHT SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN TO THIS ARPT BEFORE AND USUALLY CAME IN SLOW BECAUSE THE RWY IS QUITE SHORT. I THEN LEVELED OFF TOO HIGH; FLARED TOO SOON AND TOO FAST AND THE AIRSPD STARTED DROPPING TOO FAST. THE STALL HORN STARTED GOING OFF AND AT THIS POINT I WAS OVERCONTROLLING WITH THE RUDDER. I WAS GOING TO GO AROUND AND LEAVE THE ARPT AND THE ARPT HIT THE GND. IT FELT LIKE A HARD LNDG; BUT WHEN I SAW THE PROP STOP I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT HIT APPROX A FT TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWY AND SLID APPROX 40' PARALLEL TO THE RWY AND STOPPED ABOUT 20' TO THE RIGHT. I TRIED ALL EVENING TO CONTACT THE MGR. I ALSO ASKED THE BRIEFER AT FSS IF I NEEDED TO CONTACT THE FAA AND SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS THE FAA AND I NEEDED TO GET AHOLD OF THE MGR; WHO AS IT TURNED OUT WAS IN TX. FINALLY I FOUND SOMEONE THAT MORNING WHEN THE PLACE OPENED. I LEARNED LATER THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD LANDED THE SAME NIGHT AS I DID IN AN SMA Y W/O INCIDENT. FACTORS I FEEL CONTRIBUTED TO THE SITUATION: FATIGUE. RWY LIGHTING THAT HAD BEEN OTS FOR OVER 3 WKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND HADN'T BEEN REPAIRED. IMPATIENCE ON MY PART TO WAIT UNTIL THE OTHER PERSON WAS OFF OF THE PHONE TO GET ANOTHER BRIEFING AND GET THE NOTAMS ON THE ARPT. 2 PAX IN REAR 2 SEATS INSTEAD OF THE MIDDLE; POSSIBLY CAUSING THE ACFT TO STALL SOONER. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF FATIGUE MARRING MY JUDGEMENT; TOO HIGH OF A LEVEL OFF AND TOO FAST OF A FLARE; DISBELIEF THAT THE LIGHTS COULD BE OUT AND MY IMPATIENCE TO WAIT AND GET ANOTHER BRIEFING AND CHANGE MY FLT PLAN.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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