What happened
On 1 November 2023, a Cessna 172N, registration 4R-FSA, operated by Fly Southern (Pvt) Ltd, was involved in a runway excursion at Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana. The flight was a student pilot's first solo mission, following two dual training sessions earlier that day.
After taking off from Runway 22, the student pilot completed a single circuit. While performing the landing roll, the pilot noted the aircraft began to yaw toward the left. Despite attempts to correct the deviation using right rudder and braking, the aircraft drifted off the runway centerline and came to a stop on a grass patch approximately 33 meters from the runway edge. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation examined the training history of the student pilot and the operational procedures of the flight school. It was noted that the student's training had been interrupted by several long periods of inactivity, totaling over 150 days of non-continuous flight training. Furthermore, instructors had previously evaluated the student's performance as below average, particularly during the landing phase.
The investigation also reviewed the flight school's compliance with its own manual. On the day of the incident, the student had already completed two training sorties. The third flight—the solo mission—violated the company's training and procedure manual, which stipulates that a student should not exceed two training flights in a single day.
Findings
- The aircraft was airworthy and properly maintained.
- The student pilot's training pattern was inconsistent, with significant gaps between sessions.
- The student's landing performance had been rated as below average by instructors prior to the incident.
- The flight school's Head of Training authorized the solo flight in violation of the approved training manual limits regarding the number of daily flights.
- The pilot's inability to maintain directional control was caused by fatigue from multiple training sessions and a lack of experience due to interrupted training.
Safety action
- Operators must strictly adhere to approved flight training procedures.
- Instructors should implement more robust pre-flight emergency briefings, specifically addressing landing roll error handling for solo students.
- Flight training organizations should establish protocols with the CAA to manage students whose training progress has been interrupted by long periods of inactivity.