Sequence of Events
The pilot and passenger were on a private flight in Norway aboard SP-YBI, a Vans RV-14. After landing at Engeløya Airport (ENEN), they met the operator of Villmobakken airstrip on Vannøya. The operator granted permission to land and provided information about the strip, including a video of his own aircraft using it. The pilot was told the strip was approximately 7 meters wide, 400 meters long, and covered in rough gravel.
Later that day, the pilot flew from Engeløya to Tromsø Airport Langnes (ENTC). The flight to Vannøya was planned using the digital tool Easy VFR. The pilot checked weather and NOTAM, calculated weight and balance, flight time, and fuel requirements. The combined weight of pilot and passenger was 130 kg. The aircraft departed Tromsø with 100 liters of fuel.
Before departure, the pilot inspected the landing gear, which was not heavy-duty but featured slightly larger wheels than standard for the type, as he often landed on grass strips. He left luggage in Tromsø to reduce weight.
The pilot took off from Tromsø at 1137 hours, climbed to 2,000 feet, and flew via Langsundet strait to Vannøya. Arriving from the east, he performed a high and low flyover of the airstrip to familiarize himself with the terrain. No windsock was present near the strip, so he assessed wind conditions by observing water and vegetation, concluding winds were calm. He decided to land on runway 26 to the southwest, touching down just within the threshold at about 60 knots.
The pilot knew the aircraft could stop in about 200 meters but braked carefully to avoid throwing gravel into the propeller. After about 200 meters, he passed the airstrip's highest point and began a slight downhill section. At that point, directional control was lost, and the aircraft veered left onto uneven terrain off the gravel strip. It continued a few meters before the landing gear entered a ditch alongside, causing the aircraft to flip forward onto its back, facing the opposite direction. The pilot reported low speed when veering off.
The pilot shut off fuel and electricity; both occupants exited unaided and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, including a broken propeller and landing gear, damaged windows and canopy, and damage to both wings. The pilot stated there were no technical faults before or during the flight.
The pilot noted the airstrip was very narrow, and minor deviations from the centerline could lead to veering off. Several individuals at the scene shortly after the incident considered landing with a tailwind as a possible causal factor.
Weather Conditions
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute reported a high-pressure area near the Kola Peninsula with light offshore winds in northern Norway. Dry, almost cloudless skies prevailed in Troms and Finnmark. A light southerly wind field was present, with temperatures up to 25°C and variable wind direction but low speed. Weather stations at Torsvåg Lighthouse (6 km away) recorded a mean wind speed of 3.9 m/s at 1200 hours, and at Fakken (22 km away) 1 m/s. No turbulence indications were in the data models. METAR from ENTC showed good visibility, cloudless skies, and light winds.
Airstrip Information
Villmobakken is a private natural airstrip without official licensing or technical approval. It is a gravel strip requiring prior operator approval. No official information is published; the operator provides details to approved users. The strip's profile shows a slightly elevated middle section, about 40 meters above sea level. Terrain rises steeply to the north to about 750 meters. The runway surface is gravel with stone and grass edges. A 15-meter-high power line is approximately 340 meters from the runway 26 threshold.
A windsock is located about 1.4 km northwest of the airstrip, and a pennant flag near a residential building is used to assess local wind. The NSIA had previously investigated a 2015 accident at the same strip where local wind conditions were critical; that report noted windsocks were to be placed at each runway end, but currently none are present at the strip itself.
Damage and Injuries
Both occupants sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged, with broken propeller and landing gear, broken windows and canopy, and damage to both wings.