Cessna 340 N89AM

Summary

On 1 October 2018 at about 08:30 local time, a Cessna 340 registered N89AM, operated by Windy Point Aviation Llc, was involved in an accident near Keokuk, Iowa, United States. 3 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

1 October 2018 at 08:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Keokuk, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Keokuk Muni (EOK)

Coordinates

40.4600, -91.4522

Aircraft

Cessna 340

Registration

N89AM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

2

Operator

Windy Point Aviation Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chicago → Mount Pleasant

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

GAA19CA001

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to correctly identify the runway environment during an instrument approach at night in instrument meteorological conditions because he mistook building lights for runway lights, which resulted in landing short of the runway. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while conducting an instrument approach at night in instrument meteorological conditions, about 50 ft above the decision altitude of 921 ft, he mistook building lights for runway lights. He inadvertently touched down the airplane in a soybean field about 3/4 mile short of the runway. He then increased engine power to full, and the airplane climbed "a couple hundred feet." Once he established visual contact with the runway lights, he landed the airplane on the runway without further incident.   The pilot added that the lateral guidance from the localizer was "dead center" but that he could not recall the position of the vertical guidance needle.  The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.  The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 030° at 3 knots, visibility was 1/2 statute mile with mist, overcast at 200 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 57°F, and dew point 57°F. The pilot reported that the airport ceiling was overcast at 300 ft agl with fog and rain and that visibility was 1 mile.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.