What happened
On 2 October 2010, a Czaw SportCruer, registration G-CFPA, was conducting a private flight from Plockton Airfield to East Fortune Airfield in Scotland. Upon arrival, the pilot encountered winds from 200 degrees at 6 to 8 knots, gusting to 14 knots. Because the wind speed approached the aircraft's 12-knot crosswind limit for the published runways, the pilot opted to land on a north-south grass area adjacent to the main runways.
While the approach was initially stable at approximately 50 knots with full flaps, the pilot noted a reduction in wind speed just before touchdown, resulting in a higher-than-anticipated groundspeed. During the landing roll on the wet grass, the pilot applied heavy braking, which caused both main wheels to lock and the aircraft to skid. The aircraft failed to stop within the 190-meter length of the grass area and struck a wire fence. The impact caused the engine to stall and resulted in damage to the propeller, right wing leading edge, aileron, flap, and wheel spat. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation examined the landing performance capabilities of the Czaw SportCruiser. While the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) indicated a 50 ft landing distance of 170 m on grass, this was based on maximum landing weight. The aircraft's weight during this flight was approximately 490 kg. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the grass area used for the landing was not officially published by the airfield operator, and its dimensions were unknown to the pilot.
Findings
- The pilot attempted to land on an unmapped grass strip to avoid exceeding crosswind limits on the primary runways.
- The landing surface was wet and soft, which increased the ground roll.
- The pilot applied heavy braking which caused the main wheels to lock, leading to a skid.
- The available landing distance on the grass area was insufficient for the aircraft's groundspeed and the surface conditions.