NTSB Factual Report

On January 19, 2005, at 1315 central standard time, a Cessna 421C, N421HG, operated and piloted by a private pilot, received substantial damage on impact with terrain during a bounced landing and runway excursion from runway 20 (4,998 feet by 100 feet, grooved asphalt) at Delaware County Johnson Field Airport (MIE), Muncie, Indiana. The pilot's landing attempt on runway 20 followed a nonprecision approach in instrument meteorological conditions. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on an instrument rules flight plan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was uninjured. The flight originated from Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB), Ann Arbor, Michigan, about 1150 eastern standard time, and was en route to MIE.

The pilot stated that the departure from ARB was delayed about two hours due to reported moderate to heavy icing in the area from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago, Illinois. At the time of departure, only forecast icing conditions were present for the route of flight.

The pilot stated that Fort Wayne Approach cleared him to descend to 5,000 feet mean sea level. He activated the pitot, stall warning, propeller, and windshield anti-ice systems. He stated that moderate icing was reported to Fort Wayne Approach. He declined a climb clearance prior to activating the deicing boots, which removed 80-90 percent of the ice from the wings and horizontal surfaces. The icing conditions subsided between cloud layers, where only light icing accumulated on the airplane. The deicing boots were activated again and removed 90 percent of the ice from the wings and stabilizers. Ice was noted on the front of the engine cowlings and on the upper and lower non-heated areas of the windshield.

Following a clearance for the VOR GPS RWY 20 approach, the pilot stated he entered visual meteorological conditions at 800-900 feet above ground level. He stated that a "slight" side step maneuver was required in order to align the airplane with runway 20. Upon touchdown, the initial ground contact was "somewhat hard," and the airplane bounced into the air. He felt that he over corrected by dipping the left wing, which caused the airplane to be out of alignment with the runway. The airplane then touched down left of the runway with the left wing low and the airplane aligned to the left.

Inspection of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane impacted the runway 20 precision approach path indicator light and came to rest in a grass area about 2,000 feet down off the east side of runway 20. The flaps were extended. The pilot reported to the inspector that the airplane was equipped with a heating windshield.

The pilot described the damage by stating that both propellers were bent, both wings were bent, the right landing gear was severed, which struck the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer.

The pilot stated in his Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, under Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation: "Improved transition by myself from instrument conditions to smooth landing."

The pilot stated, "In retrospect, the pilot error was partially due to the difficulty and inexperience of landing with visibility restricted to the deiced portion of the windshield."

NTSB Probable Cause

The inadequate flare and the directional control not maintained/obtained by the pilot. Contributing factors were the instrument meteorological conditions, the icing conditions, the limited visibility afforded by the windshield antiice/deice system, and the runway/approach lighting system.