The pilot stated he received an IFR clearance for a night GPS approach at his destination airport. Upon reaching the final approach fix, he turned on the landing lights, lowered the landing gear and extended the flaps to the full-down position. He observed both alternator lights flicker, then remain illuminated. He continued the approach and flared the airplane higher than normal. The airplane landed hard and bounced several times. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and it departed the left side of the runway, coming to rest upright in the grass. Examination revealed structural damage to the landing gear, right wing and fuselage, consistent with ground impact. Weather about the time of the accident included clear skies and winds at eight knots.
August 8, 2010, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Mooney M20M
The pilot stated he received an IFR clearance for a night GPS approach at his destination airport. Upon reaching the final approach fix, he turned on the landing lights, lowered the landing gear and extended the flaps to the full-down position. He observed both alternator lights flicker, then remain illuminated. He continued the approach and flared the airplane higher than normal
Key Takeaways:
- During a night IFR GPS approach, the pilot observed alternator lights illuminate after configuring the aircraft for landing.
- The pilot flared high, resulting in a hard landing with multiple bounces and a subsequent loss of directional control.
- The aircraft departed the runway, sustaining structural damage to the landing gear, right wing, and fuselage.
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