What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1999-06-25 involved a CESSNA 337B, registration G-RORO, at Castle Rock, Northern Ireland, GB.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by a landing that occurred too far down the runway, leaving insufficient distance to stop on a damp grass surface, exacerbated by the lack of a headwind component.

Cessna 337B runway excursion at Castle Rock

A private flight involving a Cessna 337B ended in a runway excursion and collision with a hedge in Northern Ireland after a bounced landing on a damp grass strip.

What happened

On 25 June 1999, a Cessna 337B, registration G-RORO, was conducting a private flight from the Isle of Man to Castle Rock, Northern Ireland. Upon arrival, the pilot landed on a grass runway measuring approximately 600 metres in length and 15 metres in width. The strip featured a level section followed by an upward gradient of roughly 8%.

The landing sequence began with a touchdown approximately 200 metres from the start of the runway, followed by a bounce that resulted in a second touchdown midway along the strip. Despite considering a go-around, the pilot elected to continue the landing. As the aircraft failed to stop within the remaining runway length, the pilot applied heavy braking and full left rudder. This caused the aircraft to veer sharply left and exit the airfield. The aircraft struck an airfield boundary hedge, penetrating the vegetation before coming to a halt overhanging a minor road. There were no injuries to the five occupants on board, though the aircraft sustained significant damage, including a hole in the right wing fuel tank and irreparable damage to the right wing, strut, and landing gear.

The investigation

The investigation examined the environmental conditions and the aircraft's performance capabilities. At the time of the accident, the grass surface was damp, and winds were variable between the south and south-east at approximately 8 knots, providing no headwind component.

Investigators compared the landing parameters against the manufacturer's specifications found in the Super Skymaster Owner's Manual. The manual indicates that at maximum landing weight, a landing on a hard surface runway at sea level with zero wind requires 700 feet (214 metres) of ground roll. For dry grass, this distance increases by 27% to 272 metres. The investigation noted that the presence of a tailwind component and damp grass would have further extended this required distance.

Findings

The pilot's landing was characterized by a bounce and a touchdown point that left insufficient runway remaining to stop.
The landing was likely to be risky because the required stopping distance on damp grass, especially without a headwind, would have necessitated a touchdown much closer to the runway threshold than actually occurred.