History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Cessna T303 Crusader registered G-PUSI, departed Bagby Airfield in Yorkshire, UK at 10:30 hrs on 6 December 2022, with the intention of landing at Navan Airfield in Co. Meath, Ireland. The pilot, the sole crew member, was accompanied by two passengers. Prior to departure, the pilot checked weather and airfield conditions, which were reported as good, though the runway was described as soft in places. He was advised to land long after the trees, to the left of the runway centreline.
Approaching Runway 09, the pilot performed a short field landing technique at an approach speed of approximately 80 knots. He planned to land long and past trees situated on either side of the runway for the first 200 metres. After passing the trees, he executed a slight left turn, then a right turn to align with the runway just before entering the flare. The wind was from a northerly direction, prompting a slight left bank to compensate.
During the flare, the left wing lifted due to a crosswind from the left, causing the right wing to lower and contact the grass. The right main wheel touched down almost immediately and dug into the soft ground between the two runways. The aircraft came to rest adjacent to the boundary markings of Runway 07. The pilot and passengers exited normally; no fire occurred.
Injuries and Damage
No injuries were reported to the investigation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage: the underside of the right wing was impacted from contact with the ground, the upper wing surface was buckled forward of the right aileron, a portion of the upper wing skin was torn, and significant internal structural damage was visible through an inspection port.
Airfield and Aircraft Information
Navan Airfield is a private grass airfield with two runways: RWY 07/25 (approximately 530 m long) and RWY 09/27 (approximately 700 m long). A forest of mature trees flanks the first 200 m of RWY 09, with a spacing of about 35 m between trees. The area between the runways is wedge-shaped grass. The aircraft, a 1984 Cessna T303 Crusader, is a six-seat low-wing twin-engine aircraft powered by two Teledyne Continental engines with contrarotating propellers. Its maximum demonstrated crosswind for take-off or landing is 20 kt. The pilot held a UK PPL and had 412 total flight hours, with 27 on type.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that while concentrating on positioning near the trees, he may have momentarily lost awareness as airspeed decreased and the left wing lifted during the flare due to the northerly crosswind. He understood the white cones to mark the boundary between the two runways and thought the grass between them indicated Runway 07. He aimed to land close to the cones, where longer grass might aid in slowing down after landing. He had no recollection of a stall warning horn sounding.