CHI94LA334

Factual narrative

On September 17, 1994, at 1930 central daylight time, a Piper PA- 28, N2283Q, registered to the Badger Aero Club, Incorporated, of Madison, Wisconsin, and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an off airport landing while on final approach to land on Runway 31 (5,846' X 150' dry asphalt) at the Dane County Regional Airport, Madison, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Sturdevant, Wisconsin, at 1900 cdt. The landing approach was made on a dark night according to information on the pilot's NTSB Form 6120.1/2. His written statement said his "...landing approach [was] too low.. ." The pilot said his airplane landed in a corn field about 200 yards short of the runway threshold. Runway 31 had a visual approach slope indicator system and runway end identifier lights that were functioning on the night of the accident. The runway edge lighting is high intensity lighting. The intensity of the lighting is pilot controlled. The runway's lighting intensity was not revealed on the pilot's NTSB Form 6120.1/2. According to the pilot, he had 13.6 hours of night flight experience. The pilot's NTSB Form 6120.1/2 did not show any night flight experience during 90 days before the accident. THE PILOT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND ON A RUNWAY SERVED BY VASI, REIL, AND HIGH INTENSITY RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTING. HE SAID HE LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD BECAUSE HIS '... LANDING APPROACH [WAS] TOO LOW... .' THE RUNWAY LIGHTING SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD NOT HAD ANY NIGHT EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ACCIDENT REPORT FORM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12