At about 21:45 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-161 was damaged when it struck approach lights while landing at Dayton/Wright Brothers Airport. The CFI and student pilot were not injured. The student was making his first night flight and, on final approach, the CFI noted the VASI was red over red. He heard the engine power begin to increase and assumed that the student was correcting to get back on glide path. The CFI realized the student was not adding enough power and was reaching for the throttle when he heard a bang. The airplane touched down short of the runway and came to rest in a grass area. The CFI said he was not aware there were approach lighting stanchions at the approach end of the runway, and that they were not illuminated at the time of the accident.
June 1, Miamisburg, Ohio / Piper Warrior
At about 21:45 eastern time, a Piper PA-28-161 was damaged when it struck approach lights while landing at Dayton/Wright Brothers Airport. The CFI and student pilot were not injured. The student was making his first night flight and, on final approach, the CFI noted the VASI was red over red. He heard the engine power begin to increase and assumed that the student was correcting to get back on glide path. The CFI realized the student was not adding enough power and was reaching for the throttle when he heard a bang. The airplane touched down short of the runway and came to rest in a grass area. The CFI said he was not aware there were approach lighting stanchions at the approach end of the...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-28-161 was damaged during a student pilot's first night landing attempt at Dayton/Wright Brothers Airport when it struck unlit approach lights; neither the student nor CFI were injured.
- The incident occurred as the student struggled to maintain the correct glide path (VASI indicating too low), and a delayed intervention by the CFI resulted in the aircraft touching down short of the runway.
- A contributing factor was the CFI's unawareness of the approach lighting stanchions and their lack of illumination at the time of the accident.
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