CEN24FA073

The pilot’s failure to attain the runway while landing at night, which resulted in an impact with trees.

The pilot was attempting a night visual approach to a private airport that had solar deck lights as runway lights. A witness heard the pilot make radio transmissions for the downwind, base, and final approach legs of the traffic pattern before the airplane impacted trees and terrain east of the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Non-volatile data from the airplane showed the approach was approximately parallel to and about 340 ft east of the runway before the tree line, which the airplane struck. The data showed the airplane had minimal altimetry error. The data also showed that the engine operated with no anomalies throughout the approach and impact with terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity, as well as rotational and torsional features on the propeller blades and spinner consistent with engine operation. An autopsy was not performed on the pilot, so an incapacitating medical event could not be ruled out. It is likely that pilot performed an inadequate visual approach at night that resulted in a collision with terrain. Based on the available evidence, it was undetermined why the pilot performed an inadequate visual approach.

Although an autopsy was requested by the NTSB, the local Justice of the Peace did not order an autopsy to be performed. Toxicology testing performed at the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory found no drugs of abuse. On December 26, 2023, about 1813 central standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, N858RC, was involved in an accident near Canton, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. A witness heard radio transmissions from the pilot of the airplane reporting that he was west of Thompson Field Airport (1TA7), Canton, Texas. He then heard additional radio transmissions from the pilot reporting the downwind, base, and final legs for runway 13. The witness stated that radio transmissions were normal. The witness went outside to observe the airplane, but he could not tell if it was lined up with the runway due to his vantage point. The airplane impacted trees, terrain, and came to rest against a house. The main wreckage was located about 960 ft from the approach end of runway 13 on a heading of 116°. The airplane initially impacted a tree line about 40-50 ft in height that was about 250 ft from the house where the airplane came to rest. The wreckage path from the tree line to the house was approximately 250 ft long and a heading of 146°. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity from all control surfaces to the cockpit controls. The wings flaps were in the 50% position. The wreckage path contained the propeller blades, all of which were separated consistent with impact at the blade root. The propeller and propeller spinner displayed rotational and torsional features consistent with engine operation. There were no instrument approaches published for the private airport. The runway had solar-powered deck lights along the edges of the runway. One set of lights along the runway was separated by about 140 ft and another light was separated by a distance greater than 140 ft. Deck lights were also at the end of the driveways and on a picnic table next to a refueling area. The U.S. Naval Observatory reported that sunset was at 1725 and the end of civil twilight was at 1752. Moon rise was at 1801 and the phase of the moon was Waning Gibbous, with 99% of the moon’s visible disk illuminated.