Accident Details
On 28 August 2017 at 1640 hrs UTC, a Cessna 182T (registration N60554) was involved in an accident at a private airstrip near Stockbridge, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The aircraft was operated on a private flight with the pilot as the sole occupant. The pilot reported no injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a 2006-model Cessna 182T, powered by a single Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 piston engine. The pilot, aged 64, held a Private Pilot’s Licence issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration and had accumulated 1,329 flying hours, of which 950 hours were on the Cessna 182T type.
Sequence of Events
Visibility was good with a light southerly breeze when the pilot arrived overhead the airstrip. The strip was surrounded by trees and had rising ground to the east. The pilot had not previously landed at this airstrip and therefore performed two practice approaches and go-arounds to Runway 18 before attempting the landing. Following the third approach, the aircraft touched down hard. Immediately after touchdown, the pilot lost control as the aircraft deviated from the prepared section of the narrow grass airstrip into an area of longer grass and soft ground. The left wing tip and propeller struck the ground, causing the aircraft to spin around its nose before coming to rest upright, facing northeast. The pilot noted that the motion did not feel excessively violent and observed that the aircraft's airbags were not triggered. He was able to open the door and exit without difficulty.
Damage Assessment
An engineer who examined the aircraft found evidence that the left mainwheel had deviated into long grass on the left side of the strip before the left wing and propeller struck the ground. This caused the aircraft to rapidly spin left and shock-loaded the engine and airframe. Both wings were damaged, the fuselage was distorted, and the nose and right main landing gear legs were detached, while the left main landing gear collapsed. The grass airstrip had been cut to a width of approximately eight metres.
AAIB Comment
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) noted that the CAA’s Safety Sense Leaflet 12, titled ‘Strip Flying’, contains guidance for pilots intending to fly to an unfamiliar airstrip. It suggests that the best way to understand the constraints of an unfamiliar airstrip is by first visiting in the company of a pilot who has prior experience of operating there.