What happened
On July 21, 2021, a Cessna 172, registration HK5182G, was conducting a series of training flights involving several Colombian airports. After performing maneuvers at El Edén and Matecaña airports, the student pilot attempted to land at Santa Ana Airport in Cartago, Valle del Cauca.
Upon crossing the runway threshold and configuring the aircraft with full flaps, the pilot executed a hard landing. This abnormal contact caused the aircraft to bounce and strike the runway a second time. Following this impact, the aircraft lost directional control and veered toward the left, exiting the runway into the safety area. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, evacuated the aircraft independently and was uninjured.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the flight sequence and the training standards of the flight school. Investigators examined the student pilot's flight history, the aircraft's maintenance records, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the event. The investigation also reviewed the flight school's training protocols and safety management systems.
It was established that the aircraft was airworthy and had recently undergone its annual inspection. Meteorological conditions were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers and light winds. However, the investigation revealed that the student pilot lacked sufficient knowledge regarding the parameters of a stabilized approach and did not recognize the unstable condition during the final stages of the landing.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an abnormal contact with the runway resulting from an irregular leveling maneuver during an unstabilized approach.
- The student pilot failed to recognize the unstable approach and did not implement corrective measures, such as performing a go-around.
- The flight school lacked standardized criteria and parameters for a stabilized approach, failing to adequately train students on how to identify and respond to deviations.
- There was a lack of oversight by the training center regarding the student's progress and the implementation of risk assessments for solo flight phases.
Safety action
- The flight school was advised to strengthen control methods for student flight programming, particularly during critical solo phases like takeoff and landing.
- The school should establish formal procedures within its Operations and Training Manuals to define stabilized approach parameters and mandate corrective actions.
- The importance of the go-around maneuver should be integrated into pre-flight training and practiced during dual-command flights.
- The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil) was recommended to disseminate the findings to all flight training centers and general aviation operators to improve Safety Management Systems.