Cessna 172 N63535

Summary

On 7 June 1989 at about 04:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N63535, operated by Kummer, Richard, was involved in an accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 1989 at 04:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Grider Field (PBF)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N63535

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kummer, Richard

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Addison → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MKC89LA127

Nobody was injured.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT BY CONTINUING THE APPROACH WHEN THE RUNWAY LIGHTS DID NOT ACTIVATE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: DARK NIGHT AND SOFT TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT SAID THAT DURING AN ILS RWY 17 ARRIVAL AT NIGHT, HE WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS BY KEYING HIS RADIO. ALSO, HE NOTED THAT THE ROTATING BEACON WAS NOT OPERATING. HE STATED THAT HIS INSTRUMENTS SHOWED THE ACFT WAS ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE LOCALIZER, SO HE CONTINUED THE ILS APCH. HOWEVER, THE LANDING OCCURRED ABOUT 50 TO 75 FT LEFT OF THE RUNWAY ON SOFT TERRAIN WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE OVER. THE ARPT WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. ABOUT 1 HR AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE ARPT MANAGER CHECKED THE RADIO ACTIVATED RUNWAY LIGHTS AND FOUND THEM TO WORK PROPERLY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.