Amateur-built A5 N59WE accident near Chester, Connecticut

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach angle in dark night conditions, which resulted in a collision with treetops and a subsequent hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during a night flight, the ceiling was overcast at 5,000 ft above ground level, but the visibility was greater than 10 statute miles. He added that, during the turn from base to final, the airplane's approach angle was high, and it was "very dark." He adjusted the approach angle, but before reaching the runway, the right wing impacted treetops. The airplane rotated right, and the pilot added power to align the airplane with the runway. He recalled that it was difficult to perceive the airplane's altitude above the runway because of its nose-high attitude, and the airplane landed hard on the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The airplane continued across the grass safety area and down a 6-ft-tall retaining wall. The airplane came to rest upright on the parallel taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the lower fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA20CA068 for the full record.