The pilot reported that during the approach to the airport in Poplar Grove, Illinois, he landed short of the runway and hit a snowbank.
The Beech P35 sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
The pilot reported that during the approach, an airplane that landed in front of him appeared to stop on the runway to turn back for the midfield taxiway. He told investigators he was “focused on the airplane in front of him, instead of flying his airplane.”
Probable Cause: The pilot’s distraction and his failure to maintain a proper glidepath on the approach, which resulted in him landing short of the runway and impacting a snowbank.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This January 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Don’t buy it. If a plane is on the runway, its a go around. This is the same as a dog ran in front of me excuse. He was landing short and couldn’t see the snow bank because everything in front of the runway was white. Its just a stupid pilot trick #107
Violation of “the basic rule”: FTFA!
Looking at this and the one we had yesterday with another airplane taking right of way from a landing plane, it seems that we as GA pilots get a result fixation, and lose situational awareness.
Since the other aircraft was doing a back-taxi to get to the taxi way, it would seem that what needs to be done is find a reference point, and if the runway is not clear by that point in the approach to landing, time to go around. I think we as GA pilots need to think more in terms of Part 135 or Part 121. They bend up fewer aircraft and have fewer accidents.