History of Flight
On February 19, 2024, at approximately 0958H, a Textron Aviation/C172M aircraft with registration RP-C2798 experienced a runway side excursion upon landing on Runway 09 at Bagabag Airport, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. The flight originated from Tuguegarao Airport at around 0900H for a scheduled navigation training exercise. On board were a flight instructor, a student pilot, and one aircraft mechanic.
According to interviews, the landing on Runway 09 was smooth. During the landing roll, the flight instructor applied brakes, at which point the aircraft began veering left. Attempts to correct with right differential braking were unsuccessful, and the aircraft continued off the paved surface. Touchdown occurred approximately 192 meters from the Runway 09 threshold. The aircraft rolled about 833 meters before departing the left edge of the runway, then traversed roughly 167 meters over grass and fell into a steep ditch near the Runway 27 threshold. The aircraft overturned and came to rest inverted, approximately 44 meters from the runway centerline, on a magnetic heading of 242°.
Injuries and Damage
The aircraft sustained minor structural damage to both wings, fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and propeller. All three occupants sustained minor injuries. The flight instructor and student pilot self-evacuated; the mechanic was extracted with assistance from Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services. All were transported to Region II Trauma Medical Center for evaluation.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor, male, born June 29, 1992, held a Commercial Pilot License valid to February 29, 2024, with a Class I Medical Certificate expiring February 21, 2024. He had 400 hours on the C172 and 1,080 hours total time. The student pilot, male, born October 19, 1991, held a Commercial Pilot License valid to November 30, 2024, with a Class I Medical Certificate expiring November 30, 2024. He had 20 hours on the C172 and 150 hours total time.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft, a Cessna 172M (Textron Aviation Inc.), was manufactured in 1973 and had an airframe total time of 8,707+70 hours. It was equipped with a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine and a McCauley fixed-pitch propeller. The Certificate of Airworthiness was valid until October 9, 2024, and the Certificate of Registration until July 31, 2024. No open discrepancies were recorded prior to the flight.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew’s inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to asymmetric and degraded braking effectiveness resulting from severely worn brake pads.