History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Cessna 152 (registration G-BSZI), was being flown from its base at City of Derry Airport to Carrickmore Airfield near Omagh, Northern Ireland. The flight occurred on 22 September 2012 at 1230 UTC. The pilot, a 50-year-old holder of a Private Pilot's Licence with 161 hours total experience (69 on type), reported that the weather at Carrickmore was fine, with a surface wind from 180° at 5 kt and a temperature of 13°C. The runway at Carrickmore was hard-surfaced, 505 m (1,656 ft) long, orientated 08/26, and occupied an elevated position.
The pilot flew a normal approach profile to Runway 08, configured with 20° flaps and flown at about 70 kt. He was satisfied with the approach parameters. The aircraft touched down about one third of the distance along the runway, and one wheel briefly left the narrow paved surface. The pilot corrected the deviation but was generally dissatisfied with the landing. He therefore elected to abort the landing and fly a further approach.
Aborted Landing and Accident
After touchdown, the pilot applied full power and selected flaps 0°, rotating at a speed he believed to be around 60 kt. It soon became apparent that the aircraft was hardly climbing and would not clear a building and nearby power lines on rising ground ahead and slightly left of the extended centreline. The pilot turned the aircraft to the right but saw another building on elevated ground ahead. He decided to land in the field immediately below and warned his passenger. The field was ploughed; the nosewheel dug into the ground on landing, causing the aircraft to pitch nose-down and invert. Neither occupant was injured. The pilot recalled hearing the stall warning horn after warning his passenger but thought he maintained control and the aircraft had not stalled.
Aircraft Performance and Configuration
The pilot believed the aircraft reached a maximum height of no more than 100 ft. Based on mass and balance figures provided by the pilot, the aircraft was only some 5 kg below its maximum allowable weight at the time of the accident, which would have placed it above the maximum weight at takeoff 45 minutes earlier. The pilot had been aware of weight issues and had offloaded fuel earlier when his original plans changed; he estimated the aircraft departed City of Derry with about 11 or 12 US gallons (about 45% of maximum fuel).
The Pilot's Operating Handbook for the Cessna 152 lists takeoff and landing performance figures for ground roll and distances to and from 50 ft, based on the most favourable situation using 'short field' techniques. For landing, this entails 30° flap and 54 kt; for a baulked landing, the recommended initial climb configuration is 20° flap and 54 kt. The landing ground roll with short field techniques should have been 477 ft, with total distance from 50 ft of 1,203 ft.
The pilot considered that the aircraft may have experienced carburettor icing, and that he may have overlooked applying carburettor heat before landing, leading to reduced engine power after the aborted landing. However, apart from poor climb performance, there were no other unusual indications such as engine noises or rough running. The flap control was found in the 0° position, but one wing flap was found at 10°; the pilot could not be sure that the flaps had fully retracted.
Discussion Points from the Investigation
It appeared that the aircraft gained very little altitude after becoming airborne, with separation from terrain arising partly through the downward slope of the ground after the runway end. A reduction in available engine power through carburettor icing could not be ruled out, although there were no symptoms such as rough running or low rpm other than an apparent lack of power. Another possibility considered was that the aircraft may have been unable to climb due to a combination of weight, configuration, and airspeed. The decision to abort was made quickly, and the pilot's actions (full power, flaps 0°) were those appropriate to a touch-and-go landing with which he was familiar. The lack of headwind and narrow runway could have provided misleading visual cues that the aircraft was travelling at greater airspeed than was the case; consequently, it may have become airborne at too low an airspeed, possibly with flaps still retracting, compromising initial climb performance.