What happened
On 17 September 2013, a Cessna 172R, registration A6-HSS, operated by Fujairah Aviation Academy, was involved in a runway excursion at Fujair and International Airport. The flight, conducted by a student pilot as part of a solo cross-country requirement, was returning to the airport after an attempted touch-and-go at Al Ain International Airport.
Upon landing on Runway 11, the aircraft drifted left from the centerline. The aircraft exited the paved surface and continued rolling across the runway strip, eventually coming to a stop approximately 359 meters from the point where it first veered off. The student pilot exited the aircraft without injury, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
The GCAA AAIS investigation focused on the aircraft handling during the landing phase. Investigators examined the aircraft's mechanical condition, maintenance records, and the pilot's performance. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was airworthy, with no mechanical anomalies found in the flight controls, steering, or braking systems. Meteorological data indicated a crosswind component of 5 knots, which was within the aircraft's operational limits.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the improper handling of directional control during the landing sequence. Specifically, as airspeed decreased during the flare, the necessary increases in aileron and rudder inputs were not performed.
- After touchdown, the pilot failed to apply the required incremental aileron deflection into the wind to counteract the weathervane effect.
- A significant contributing factor was a lack of situational awareness caused by the student pilot's fixation on cockpit instruments (the PFD) during the flare and immediately after touchdown. This prevented the use of external visual references to maintain the runway centerline.
- The pilot's inability to manage the aircraft's attitude during the landing roll led to the leftward drift.
Safety action
Following the investigation, safety recommendations were issued to the Fujairah Aviation Academy to improve training in the following areas:
- The use of external peripheral reference points versus instrument references during landing.
- Maintaining directional control during the flare and landing roll in crosswind conditions.
- Procedures for recovering an aircraft into the runway track once a veer has begun.
Additionally, a recommendation was made to the GCAA to strengthen oversight of landing techniques within the flight training organization oversight program for all UAE-based flight training organizations.