What happened
On July 3, 2010, a Jabiru J400, registration F-PMIT, was conducting a VFR pleasure flight from Castiglion Fiorentino to Cuneo Levaldigi. During the approach to Cuneo Levaldigi, the pilot established contact with the tower, though the radio communications were intermittently unintelligible.
After being instructed to enter the right downwind for runway 03, the pilot deviated from the instructions. Instead of following the base turn to final for runway 03, the aircraft repositioned for a landing on runway 21. When the tower queried the deviation, the pilot expressed an intention to land on runway 21. Following this, the aircraft landed not on the paved runway, but on a grass strip located to the east of runway 21.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the radio communications, the pilot's qualifications, and the flight planning. The investigation found that the pilot, while holding a valid private pilot license and SEP rating, possessed a radiotelephony qualification only in French and lacked proficiency in English.
Analysis of the cockpit-to-ground communications revealed that the pilot asked, "May I use the grass runway?", a query that was not clearly understood by the tower. The tower responded by clearing the aircraft to land on runway 21. The pilot later stated he believed the authorization applied to the grass strip, as he had experience landing on similar grass strips at his departure airfield. The investigation also noted that the radio signals were frequently distorted, which may have led to a lack of clarity regarding the end of the tower's instructions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the event was inadequate flight planning, as the pilot arrived at the destination without a sufficient understanding of the technical or operational characteristics of the airport.
- The pilot lacked familiarity with the local area and the specific approach procedures for Cuneo Levaldigi.
- A lack of English language proficiency contributed to the misunderstanding during radio communications.
- The pilot mistakenly identified a grass strip adjacent to the paved runway as an operational grass runway and believed he had received permission to use it.