FlightFollowerILS approach Goes Wrong..”I think i Hit Something ”
On 10 July 2019, Cessna 172 N677DM was flying an ILS approach at night in instrument meteorological conditions near Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Near decision altitude, the pilot observed full course-deflection indications in opposite directions while correcting the approach. She then heard and felt a loud bang, the airplane turned left and she immediately abandoned the approach. The aircraft was vectored to another airport and landed, but the left wing had sustained substantial damage from a collision with a tree.
The official record
This occurrence was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board under accident number GAA19CA401. The Board records the event as occurring on 11 July 2019 at Vineyard Haven, MA. The aircraft is identified as a Cessna 172, registration N677DM. The highest injury level recorded is none.
The Board’s record additionally lists phase of flight recorded as approach; landing; approach, weather conditions recorded as Instrument (IMC); Instrument (IMC), operating under 091.
The investigation is closed. The Board determined the probable cause to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain lateral position in relation to the instrument approach course at night in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in collision with a tree.
NTSB, accident GAA19CA401
A probable cause is the Board’s determination of what brought the occurrence about. It is reached after the investigation closes and supersedes any earlier account, including contemporary reporting and anything inferred from the recording alone.
The full record can be retrieved from the NTSB’s public case system, CAROL, by searching accident number GAA19CA401.
Research and reconstruction
Flight Follower Editorial Team
This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.
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Accident Facts
- Date
- 10 July 2019
- Registration
- N677DM
The approach became unstable close to decision altitude
The NTSB report places the aircraft in night IMC on an ILS approach to Runway 24. The pilot described seeing the course indicator reach full right deflection, correcting left, and then seeing full left deflection. That sequence occurred around decision altitude, leaving little vertical margin for troubleshooting.
The pilot then reported a loud bang and an abrupt left turn. Rather than continue the approach, she executed a missed approach and declared an emergency. The aircraft was subsequently vectored to a nearby airport where the landing was completed without further incident.
The wing damage identified the physical contact
After the aircraft landed, the left wing had sustained substantial damage. The FAA examination found pine needles in the damaged section, providing physical evidence consistent with contact with a tree.
The investigation did not identify a pre-existing mechanical failure that would have prevented normal operation. Weather observations around the time of the occurrence showed fog, visibility of one-quarter statute mile and a very low vertical visibility, reinforcing the difficult visual environment in which the approach was being flown.
The investigation focused on lateral position
The NTSB's probable-cause determination did not assign the event to a mysterious ILS malfunction or an aircraft mechanical defect. It focused on the aircraft's lateral position relative to the approach course while the pilot was operating at night in IMC.
That finding is narrower than the dramatic phrase 'I think I hit something.' The physical evidence established contact with a tree; the investigation then connected that contact to the failure to maintain the aircraft's position on the instrument approach course.
The documented finding
“The pilot's failure to maintain lateral position in relation to the instrument approach course at night in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in collision with a tree.” — National Transportation Safety Board, GAA19CA401
Conclusion
N677DM did not become an accident because the pilot continued after the bang. The pilot immediately discontinued the approach, declared an emergency and reached another airport. The substantial damage was discovered afterward, and the investigation used the physical evidence in the wing to establish what had been struck. The final finding keeps the event grounded in the actual evidence: difficult night IMC, loss of lateral position during the ILS approach and contact with a tree. The successful diversion after the impact does not erase the seriousness of the approach event, but it did prevent a much worse outcome.