What happened
On June 5, 2011, an ultralight Zenair CH 601 was conducting a sightseeing flight with one passenger near the Bychlew landing field. After approximately 40 minutes of flight, the pilot initiated a landing maneuver using a left-hand pattern, entering the final approach in a downwind configuration. The aircraft was landing on runway 27.
The aircraft touched down approximately three-quarters of the way down the runway at an excessive speed. The momentum caused the aircraft to bounce, after which it crossed a transverse road and a ditch marking the boundary of the landing field. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on an uneven grassy area. The impact resulted in a bent nose gear strut and damage to the propeller. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation examined the flight path and the pilot's experience at the specific location. While the pilot was experienced in ultralight operations, the investigation noted that most of the pilot's operations were conducted at EPLL (Poznań-Ławica Airport) rather than the Bychlew landing field. This lack of familiarity with the specific landing site was considered a contributing factor in the improper planning of the approach.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was an approach performed at excessive speed.
- The pilot failed to properly plan the landing approach for the specific characteristics of the Bychlew field.
- The pilot did not execute a go-around (second circuit) despite the unstable approach parameters.
- The pilot's relative lack of experience operating from this specific landing field contributed to the error in approach planning.