What happened
On 31 May 2015, a Piper PA-32R-301, registration N808CA, was performing a landing at Ballyboe Airfield in County Tipperary as part of a general aviation flight. The aircraft had traveled from Newmarket Heath Airfield in the United Kingdom under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
During the final approach, the pilot noted significant turbulence and gusty winds. Upon touchdown on the grass runway, the aircraft' 12.5-meter-wide strip provided very little margin for error given the aircraft's wingspan. As the pilot applied brakes, the left wingtip made contact with a tall crop of rapeseed adjacent to the runway. This contact triggered a sharp leftward turn that the pilot could not counteract with rudder inputs. The aircraft subsequently exited the prepared surface, causing the right-hand undercarriage leg to collapse. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
The AAIU examined the environmental conditions, the aircraft's technical state, and the pre-flight information provided to the pilot. The investigation looked into the meteorological data, which confirmed a westerly wind with a significant crosswind component and low-level turbulence likely caused by nearby trees. The investigators also reviewed the briefing the pilot had received from the airfield owner prior to the flight.
Findings
- The pilot was properly licensed and the aircraft was airworthy.
- The pre-flight briefing included information about runway length and certain obstacles, but failed to mention the runway width or the specific height of the adjacent crops.
- The height of the rapeseed crop on the left side of the runway exceeded the vertical clearance available between the aircraft's wingtip and the ground.
- Contact between the left wingtip and the agricultural crop caused the asymmetric deceleration that led to the excursion.
- The narrowness of the runway relative to the aircraft's wingspan, combined with gusty crosswinds, made maintaining the centerline extremely difficult.