The pilot reported that she was on approach to land at a private airpark near Chandler, Arizona, while nearing the end of civil twilight. She keyed the radio microphone multiple times during the approach, but was unsuccessful in activating the airpark’s high-intensity lighting.
During the approach she initiated a go-around when she realized that she had aligned with a road instead of the runway.
During the go around, the Cessna 172 hit powerlines, hit terrain, and came to rest nose down against a fence.
The right wing and the fuselage were substantially damaged, while the pilot sustained serious injuries in the crash.
The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Members of the airpark added that shortly after the accident, the airpark’s runway lights were activated and verified to be operational.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to locate the airport, which resulted in an approach to a road and subsequent collision with power lines during a go-around in low-light conditions.
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This May 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Seems to me that part of the ‘pilot’s failure to locate the airport’ pertains to the failure of the runway lights to illuminate upon mic keying. That should be investigated first. Was she on the right radio channel? Or did the air park system malfunction? If that runway had been lit she may have been able to land safely. If I were her I’d find a lawyer right after getting out of the hospital.
Regards/J
The runway lights were tested and they worked normally (the airport beacon was notam’d inoperative – the pilot mentioned that in her report so apparently she was aware). She thought S McClintock Dr (actually a four-lane street) was the runway. There was an accident near me a few years ago. The pilot crashed into a ridge descending to what looked like runway lights. However they were lights in the parking lot of a school. I went to that site in my car and it was obvious how the two rows of lights in the parking lot could look like runway edge lights from the airplane.
This is the pilot’s safety recommendation: “Having flown into Stellar Airport (P19) at night in the past, I was familiar with the airport being difficult to make visual contact with. Accordingly, this accident likely could have been prevented if the recommended downwind pattern entry was performed at traffic pattern altitude, or if the VOR-A approach was flown to ensure terrain and obstacle clearance”.