Incident Description
On Friday, 3 May 2019, at approximately 12:00 local time, the pilot of a Piper PA-28-161, registration SE-KVP, departed from Kjeller Airport (ENKJ) for a local flight. After about one hour, he returned to land on runway 30. According to the pilot, weather conditions had changed since departure, with stronger crosswinds and gusts. He configured the aircraft with three notches of flaps and landed at 65 knots. Shortly after touchdown, directional control was lost and the aircraft drifted right, departing the runway onto the grass. It crossed two taxiways (A and B) before the pilot managed to steer it back onto the runway.
Post-Event Actions and Damage Discovery
The pilot conducted a visual inspection of the aircraft after the excursion, noting no visible damage. The aircraft was parked and the incident was not recorded in the journey log or reported to authorities. The pilot later explained he genuinely believed there was no damage and therefore considered it not reportable. Five days later, he flew the same aircraft again without noticing any abnormalities. Approximately one week after the incident, the aircraft owner was informed by a witness and contacted the pilot, who then reported the event. The owner advised that a thorough inspection was necessary to identify potential hidden damage. The subsequent inspection revealed damage to the engine mount, firewall, and nose gear leg. The insurance company recommended writing off the aircraft.
Investigation Findings
The investigation noted that shifting wind due to shower activity may have been a contributing factor to the loss of control. The pilot, aged 62, held a Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL(A)) and had accumulated 320 total flight hours, with 300 hours on the accident type. His last 90-day flight time was 10 hours, all on the same type. The aircraft was a 1978 model. The pilot's own assessment after the event was that he should have aborted the landing given the deteriorating conditions. The investigation highlighted the importance of reporting all runway excursions, regardless of apparent damage, as per EU Regulation 2015/1018.