What happened
On December 5, 2008, a solo cross-country flight involving a Tecnam P-2-002-JF, registration EI-WAT, ended in a runway excursion at Waterford Airport. After flying from Waterford to Cork and returning, the student pilot attempted to land on Runway 21. Air traffic control noted that the aircraft landed further down the runway than usual.
During the landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes near the end of the runway. Due to a lack of sufficient rudder input to counteract the crosswind, the aircraft drifted off the side of the runway into the grass. The impact resulted in minor damage to the propeller, engine support, nose wheel spats, and the base of the pitot tube. The pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the environmental conditions and the pilot's experience level. At the time of the landing, the wind was recorded at 320 degrees at 15 knots, which created a 14-knot crosswind and a 5-knot tailwind component.
While the manufacturer's maximum demonstrated crosswind limit for the Tecnam P-2002-JF is 22 knots, the flying club where the pilot was training enforced a stricter internal limit of 15 knots. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was not equipped with differential braking, meaning the pilot had to rely on rudder control for directional steering once the nose wheel was in contact with the runway.
Findings
- The landing was long, likely caused by the combination of the pilot's inexperience and the presence of a tailwind component.
- The pilot failed to use sufficient rudder input to maintain the aircraft's centerline during the crosswind landing.
- The pilot's lack of experience, with only 36 total flying hours, contributed to the inability to manage the aircraft during the landing roll.
Safety action
Following the incident, the flying club implemented a new policy restricting student pilots holding a Student Pilot Licence (SPL) to a maximum crosswind limit of 10 knots.