Cessna 172 Excursion on Snow-Covered Strip in Sweden

Casualties unknown • Accident in Southern Sweden involving an aircraft of the model Cessna 172R with registration marks SE-LGI, SE

A private flight to a temporary airfield in Östra Gerum resulted in a substantial aircraft accident when the pilot lost directional references during a landing flare.

What happened

On February 8, 2015, a Cessna 172R, registration SE-LGI, was participating in a private flight to a fly-in event near Östra Gerum, Sweden. The landing site was an improvised airstrip consisting of a field covered in hard-packed snow. The pilot, who was visiting the location for the first time, had been informed that the runway was 600 meters long.

During the landing sequence on runway 13, the pilot performed an initial approach to scout the field before attempting the final landing. While executing the flare, the aircraft's nose attitude became excessively high, causing the pilot to lose visual references relative to the center of the runway. The aircraft touched down on the left side of the strip and began to veer toward a snowbank. As the aircraft entered deeper snow, it experienced significant deceleration, causing the plane to tip forward onto its nose before coming to rest upright, rotated 90 degrees from its original path.

The investigation

The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) examined the aircraft, the site conditions, and interviewed the pilot, the passenger, and local officials. The investigation noted that the runway was bounded by snowbanks approximately 20 centimeters high, but lacked formal edge markings. The threshold was marked only by high-visibility vests placed on cones.

Investigators found that the pilot had not performed a performance calculation prior to the landing. While the pilot reported a light crosswind, meteorological analysis indicated a northwest wind of 10–15 knots. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and left wing, along with damage to the nose gear and engine mounts, though there were no injuries to the two occupants.

Findings

  • The pilot had limited experience operating on short, snow-covered landing strips.
  • The landing maneuver was too difficult given the pilot's experience level and the environmental conditions.
  • A lack of performance calculations prior to landing contributed to the difficulty of the maneuver.
  • The high nose attitude during the flare led to a loss of lateral orientation on the runway.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by a landing maneuver that exceeded the pilot's ability to maintain control under the specific environmental conditions, exacerbated by a lack of prior performance calculations for the snow-covered strip.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2015-02-08 aircraft accident near Accident in Southern Sweden involving an aircraft of the model Cessna 172R with registration marks SE-LGI, SE?

A private flight to a temporary airfield in Östra Gerum resulted in a substantial aircraft accident when the pilot lost directional references during a landing flare.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2015-02-08 involved a aircraft, registration SE-LGI, at Accident in Southern Sweden involving an aircraft of the model Cessna 172R with registration marks SE-LGI, SE.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by a landing maneuver that exceeded the pilot's ability to maintain control under the specific environmental conditions, exacerbated by a lack of prior performance calculations for the snow-covered strip.

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