Piper PA-28-181 N8389Y

Summary

On 8 November 2002 at about 02:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N8389Y was involved in an accident near Fayette, Alabama, United States. One person was 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

8 November 2002 at 02:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Fayette, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Richard Arthur Field (M95)

Coordinates

33.7167, -87.8167

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N8389Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fayette → Fayette

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ATL03LA015

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's poor inflight decision to land on a non illuminated runway, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance during an attempted night landing that resulted in an on ground collision with a parked car. A factor was the light condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Upon arriving at the destination airport the pilot was unable to activate the runway lights. According to witnesses, the runway lights at the airport were inoperative. In an effort to facilitate a night landing, the pilot requested assistance from the local sheriff department. The sheriff's department requested assistance of friends and employees of the airport to align their vehicles along the side of the runway and turned on their headlights to illuminate the runway. The pilot made two unsuccessful attempts to land. On the third attempt the airplane landed and struck one of the cars parked along the side of the runway. The airplane rolled over, and slid down the runway. The airplane came to rest inverted. There is no record of the pilot obtaining notice to airmen regarding the inoperative runway lights. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing was separated from the airplane. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.