What happened
On June 6, 2020, a private Cessna 172S, registration LN-LZN, was performing a departure from Engeløy Airport (ENEN) in Nordland, Norway. The aircraft was carrying four occupants, including the pilot, and was operating at near maximum takeoff weight.
During the takeoff roll on the grass runway, the pilot realized the aircraft had not reached sufficient airspeed. With approximately 100 meters of runway remaining, the aircraft was traveling at roughly 40 knots, which was 15 knots below the required rotation speed. In an attempt to increase acceleration, the pilot raised the nose slightly, but subsequently encountered trees and bushes ahead. The pilot performed an aggressive pull on the control stick to avoid a stall before the aircraft struck a barbed-wire fence at the end of the runway.
Following the impact, the pilot continued the flight to Bodø Airport to inspect the aircraft for potential damage. An instructor flying a separate aircraft joined the flight to visually assess the damage. It was observed that barbed wire was entangled in the left tail section and visible damage had occurred to the left main landing gear.
The investigation
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) examined the aircraft's performance capabilities and the environmental conditions at Engeløy. The investigation noted that while the aircraft's manual suggests a takeoff from this runway is possible at maximum weight under specific conditions, the grass surface can present significant rolling resistance, particularly during the months of April and June. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's actions and the operational information provided by the airport, which included warnings regarding high rolling resistance.
Findings
- The pilot was not sufficiently attentive to takeoff technique, specifically regarding the need to lift the nose early on a high-resistance surface to reduce nose-wheel drag.
- The pilot failed to maintain focus on a predetermined point on the runway where a go-around would be necessary if target speeds had not been achieved.
- The aircraft was operating at near maximum takeoff weight, leaving little margin for error on the marginal runway surface.
- The pilot's focus may have been distracted by the multiple factors required to manage a takeoff on a short, grass runway.