Accident Description
On 15 March 2025, at 11:22 local time, a Cessna 172S aircraft (registration SE-MIA) was on a private flight from Västerås-Johannisberg Airport to Skövde Airport in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. The pilot and two passengers were on board. During the approach and landing on runway 19, the aircraft encountered turbulence. The touchdown was hard and followed by a bounce. The aircraft then drifted to the left, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. When engine power was applied at low speed and a high pitch angle, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled yaw to the left accompanied by a steep left bank. As a result, the aircraft veered off the runway to the left onto the runway strip, moving across the ground in an easterly direction with full power applied. At the edge of the runway strip, the aircraft crossed a ditch, causing the nose landing gear to break off. It subsequently collided with a group of birch trees and came to a stop. No personal injuries occurred, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Investigation Findings
The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) determined that the aircraft was airworthy at the time of the occurrence, with no technical malfunction or defect identified. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot License (PPL(A)) with a total flight experience of 118 hours, including 11 hours on the Cessna 172S. In the 90 days prior to the accident, the pilot had logged 11 flight hours (7 on type) and 31 landings (23 on type). The prevailing weather included a southwest wind of 10–15 knots with gusts up to 27 knots, conditions that may have been close to the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind from the right. During the go-around attempt, the pilot's rudder control inputs were insufficient to counteract the left-turning tendencies produced by the propeller. A reference flight demonstrated that these tendencies became pronounced during power application at a high pitch angle and low speed, which likely caught the pilot by surprise.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated in the investigation report, is: "The prevailing wind conditions made the landing challenging in view of the pilot’s limited flight experience. During the attempted go-around, the pilot’s control inputs were inadequate to counteract the left-turning tendencies, which combined with the effect of the crosswind resulted in a runway excursion. Startle effects and the elevated stress level negatively affected the pilot’s ability to act rationally. The occurrence evolved into an accident when the go-around was continued, despite the fact that the conditions for a safe outcome no longer existed after the aircraft had departed the runway."