What happened
On July 7, 2024, at approximately 10:14 JST, a Cessna 172P, registration JA410 and a student pilot, an instructor, and a passenger were performing a training flight at Fukushima Sky Park. While approaching Runway 32, the crew observed wind conditions that appeared to be a stable headwind. As the student pilot initiated the flare maneuver, the aircraft experienced a sudden and significant impact.
During the landing sequence, the aircraft's lower aft section made contact with the runway surface. The impact was loud enough that the instructor immediately took control of the aircraft to prevent further damage. Following a bounce, the aircraft landed and taxied to the apron, where a post-flight inspection revealed scratch marks on the underside of the rudder and the lower rear fuselage, as well as a broken tie-down ring. No injuries were reported among the three occupants.
The investigation
Investigators analyzed surveillance camera footage from the airfield, which captured both the aircraft's flight path and the movement of the runway windsocks. This footage revealed that the wind direction was highly unstable during the final seconds of the approach. While the crew initially perceived a northwest headwind, the windsock data showed the wind was frequently shifting between north and south directions.
Technical analysis of the flight path showed that five seconds before touchdown, the wind was blowing from the northwest at 10 knots. However, by the time the aircraft began its flare, the wind had shifted to a southerly direction. This shift created a tailwind component from the rear left, which caused the aircraft to lose airspeed and lift abruptly.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a sudden change in wind direction from the northwest to the south during the flare phase.
- This shift caused the aircraft to lose lift and increase its rate of descent significantly just before touchdown.
- The instructor and student pilot did not anticipate such volatile wind shifts, as they typically expect such instability during winter rather than summer.
- The rapid increase in the descent rate left the crew with insufficient time to perform an evasive maneuver or correct the pitch.
Safety action
Following the incident, the Fukushima Flight Service updated its Operations Manual. The revised procedures now instruct staff to actively communicate specific changes in surface wind conditions to pilots, particularly when observing crosswinds or shifts in wind velocity.