Event IAD04CA006

Factual narrative

On December 21, 2003, at 1740 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-30, N7532Y , was substantially damaged while landing at Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not operating on a flight plan. The personal flight, which departed Athens/Ben Epps Airport (AHN), Athens, Georgia, was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that during the landing on runway 24, about 10 feet above the ground, glare from the setting sun resulted in a "total loss of all references - runway, horizon, instrument panel, everything." According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane subsequently landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded off the runway, collided with a taxiway sign and several runway lights, and came to rest in a grassy area. U.S. Naval Observatory data revealed that, at 1740, the altitude of the sun was -3.2 degrees and the azimuth was 242.4 degrees true. The direction of runway 24 at Louisville was 242 degrees magnetic, 240 degrees true. The weather reported at Louisville, at 1729, included winds from 220 degrees true at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies below 12,000 feet, temperature 46 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 30.15 inches of mercury. The airplane landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane then skidded off the runway and collided with a taxiway sign and runway lights. The pilot subsequently reported that during the landing, about 10 feet above the ground, glare from the setting sun resulted in the loss of all attitude references, including the runway, horizon, and instrument panel. U.S. Naval Observatory data revealed that at the time of the accident, the sun was 3.2 degrees below the horizon, and 2.4 degrees to the right of runway centerline. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12