What happened
On February 25, 2020, a Piper Aircraft Inc. PA-46R-350T, registration LN-TMJ, was performing a private flight from Kjeller Airport to Rakkestad Airport Åstorp. The flight, which included the pilot and one passenger, proceeded without incident until the approach phase. Due to cloud cover in the area, the pilot conducted the approach at 1,000 feet rather than the recommended 2,000 feet.
During the landing on runway 15, the pilot was managing a left crosswind of 10 to 14 knots. As the left main gear made contact with the runway approximately 450 meters from the threshold, the aircraft began drifting toward the right. Although the pilot instructed the passenger not to touch the controls, the aircraft drifted off the runway edge. During the excursion, the left main gear struck a runway edge light, resulting in structural damage to the left wing and main landing gear. There were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) examined the actions of both the pilot and the passenger following the excursion. The investigation revealed that while the pilot had briefed the passenger before departure not to touch the flight controls, the pilot had not explained the specific dual-function nature of the pedals, where the upper portion controls the brakes and the lower portion controls the rudder.
Following the incident, the passenger admitted that they may have moved the pedals. The passenger explained that, believing only the top portion of the pedals controlled the brakes, they moved their legs to the lower section after receiving the pilot's instruction to avoid touching the controls.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of directional control was the unintentional movement of the rudder pedals by the passenger.
- The pilot's pre-flight briefing was insufficient, as it failed to clarify the specific mechanics of the rudder and brake pedals to the passenger.
- The passenger's lack of familiarity with the cockpit interface led to an action that inadvertently interfered with the pilot's ability to compensate for the crosswind.