Cessna 152 excursion at Croft Farm airstrip

Casualties unknown • Near Defford, Worcestershire, GB

A private flight involving a Cessna 152 ended in a runway excursion near Defford, Worcestershire, after the pilot was unable to stop on a wet grass strip.

What happened

On 13 November 2014, a Cessna 152, registration G-GFID, was conducting a private flight from Coventry to the Croft Farm airstrip near Defford, Worcestershire. Upon arriving at the 570 m long grass runway, the pilot performed a landing on Runway 28. The touchdown occurred just before the midpoint of the strip.

Following the landing, the pilot attempted to decelerate; however, the grass surface was wet, which notably diminished the braking performance of the aircraft. As the aircraft failed to come to a halt within the remaining runway length, the pilot executed a steering maneuver to the left to avoid an encounter with a ditch and trees located at the runway's terminus. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft exiting the runway and entering an adjacent field, causing damage to the propeller and the right wingtip.

The investigation

The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the landing conditions and the effectiveness of the braking action on the grass surface at the time of the incident.

Probable cause

The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway length due to reduced braking effectiveness caused by the wet grass surface.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2014-11-13 Cessna 152 accident near Near Defford, Worcestershire, GB?

A private flight involving a Cessna 152 ended in a runway excursion near Defford, Worcestershire, after the pilot was unable to stop on a wet grass strip.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2014-11-13 involved a Cessna 152, registration G-GFID, at Near Defford, Worcestershire, GB.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway length due to reduced braking effectiveness caused by the wet grass surface.

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